The New Girl
by emoly01
Summary: Hitomi is a normal American teenager. Van is just as normal, if you didn't count the swarm of girls following him at school, two dead parents, a missing brother, and a mountain of cash. This closed-off angsty teen meets happy-go-lucky Hitomi... at WalMart
1. The Race Begins

I tried to avoid OOC. And I don't really know where this is going. I had an inspiration and went with it. So far, it has no plot. Enjoy!

Van was standing behind the counter, yawning. As Wal-Mart goes, it's never exactly empty, but today was particularly slow. For the moment, his isle was empty, no customers. He didn't mind working like this, even though his parents had been obscenely rich and left him all their money. His only complaint was the fact it was customer service. Besides dealing with a whole bunch of strangers every day, he didn't care the wage wasn't high or that he had to work at all. His parents had made sure he wasn't spoiled.

Van had a cheap nametag and a blue vest. It felt rather stiff, but he knew as the day wore on, he'd get used to it. He looked around, rather bored. He watched a group of teenagers from town walk in, hoping they wouldn't recognize him, although he didn't really care what people thought about him; he was rich and could buy friends if he ever found the need one. After a moment of thinking, he hoped they would recognize him. Maybe they would tell everyone and girls would think he was a loser for working at Wal-Mart of all places and leave him alone.

He was handsome. He had black hair, wine colored eyes, hard muscle, and a little on the tall side. Add that to a mountain of cash and suddenly he has a million girls throwing themselves at his feet. That's only what girls wanted from him; looks and money.

Don't get him wrong; he'd tried dating a lot of those girls, but they always asked him to buy this or that for them and they always tried to get him in bed. Of course, he had a bad reputation. He was cheap, didn't buy his girlfriends anything above ten dollars, and he was also old-fashioned in a way that meant he wasn't losing his virginity until he got married, or at least fell in love. He wasn't in love with any of those girls.

A rude attitude also added onto his "bad" reputation. That didn't mean shit, though. It only meant that he was mysterious and bad-ass. The only thing that was actually detracting from his personality in the girl's eyes was that he was cheap, even though he was rich. What they didn't understand was that he was rich because he was cheap. This day and age, those two things come hand in hand very often.

But he hadn't had to deal with these girls all summer, locking himself in his parent's mansion, only going out to work, and occasionally buy food. He wasn't looking forward to high school. Junior year, whoopee. He sighed, bored out of his mind. He didn't like thinking about next week.

Movement at the end of his isle caught his attention. He watched the girl pile food and food and more food on the belt. She smiled up at him uncertainly and continued. Silently, he got to work, scanning the bread, milk, eggs, cereal… What did this skinny, honey-haired girl need with all this food? He didn't spare her a second glance. Not until he heard a light cough, meant to get his attention.

"Hi," she said, a little shyly, but happily. He grunted in response. See what he meant about being rude? She continued, not looking the slightest bit discouraged, "This is my first time shopping out by myself. My dad always talked to the cashier, and so does my mom. My dad passed away recently, so I figured I'd try to do what he always did, you know? Kind of to remember him. He was always so happy, and he always made everyone laugh, brightening their day…" She went on, babbling.

Van interrupted roughly, "Four hundred twenty-three dollars and two cents."

The girl blinked at him, "Oh, dear, that's a lot." She opened her purse and rummaged through it. He took in the girl for a moment; short honey-blond hair, slender legs, short shorts, tank top. Pretty, definitely pretty. But she kept babbling.

"Isn't it obvious I'm not interested, woman?" he snapped, interrupting her again, "Why do you keep talking to me?" She swiped a credit card, looked up, and smiled at him as cheerfully as if he had told her she looked gorgeous.

She tilted her head happily. "I was hoping I could make your day brighter, like my dad. If you don't want me to talk, just say so." He continued bagging her things, and she silently placed them in her cart. Suddenly, Van missed her pointless babble. He almost felt bad that he had snapped at her because he was in a bad mood. What kept him from really feeling bad was the cheerful smile on her face. It hadn't hurt her feelings at all. She seemed just as happy in silence. Still, Van felt the urge to apologize and ask her to continue talking about her deceased father, even though it was annoying as hell.

Instead, he asked awkwardly, "What's all this food for?"

She looked up at him and smiled wider, "Charity. For kids and old people who can't do things themselves because of something out of their control. Why?"

"I didn't think it was for you," he mumbled, "That much is obvious because you're so skinny. I was just curious." _And I wanted to hear you talk again_ he added in his head. What he didn't understand was why. She was just another girl. "Do you go to school around here?" he asked.

She sighed, "I just moved here, so yeah. I'm going to the one right in town. I'm a junior now."

Van licked his lips a little nervously, "Oh. What school are you going to again?"

"I don't remember its name," she admitted sheepishly, "I just got in."

"The private one right outside town?" he asked hopefully.

She shook her head, "No, the public one in town. Why, is that where you go?"

_No!_ he thought _That's where I don't go! I don't want another girl in my class… _"Uh," he mumbled, not answering, "What classes do you have?" _Don't say any of my classes, please!_

She looked up thoughtfully, "Chemistry, Calculus, Drawing and Design, and Creative Writing. I don't remember anymore. Why? What are you taking?"

He gulped, "Oh." Before he found an appropriate response in his head, another woman with kids hanging on all her limbs approached and began piling her things on the conveyor belt. He apologized to the girl, and she smiled and left. Before she left the building, he wondered what her name was. So he went on a whim. "Sorry, ma'am, I'll be right with you." He turned and ran after the girl, who was now in the parking lot. He caught up with her and grabbed her shoulder. She turned a surprised gaze to his determined one.

"What's your name?" he asked.

She smiled widely, "Hitomi. I'll see you around, Van." He blinked after her. What was _that _about? He frowned at himself. Why had he felt so determined to get her name? Was he expecting resistance? No, he wasn't. With a confused sigh, he went back inside to his surprised customer.

Hitomi couldn't have been more surprised that he went after her only to ask her for her name. She whistled tunelessly as she walked inside her house. Her mom greeted her by the door, giving her a hug.

"You seem to be in a good mood," she commented.

Hitomi shrugged, "Helping people always makes me happy. And… I kind of met someone today."

Her mom smiled, looking very much like Hitomi, "I'm so glad you and Mamouru came here with me. It's been so lonely without your father." She sighed dreamily, "Mamouru looks so much like him, doesn't he?"

Hitomi pulled out of her mother's hands, "He does. I'm going to my room, okay? Shout if you need help with dinner." Her mother watched her climb the stairs to her room and took a deep breath.

Hitomi lay down on her bed. She liked and disliked her room. The walls were a bright sky blue and her sheets on her bed deep blue with cloud patterns. Her dresser was quaint and humble, and her closet small. She had a laptop on a desk beside the door. She liked the humble simplicity, but wished she had a little more leg-room. Not that she was complaining. Mamouru needed his room for all his equipment; amps, guitars, drums, and the piano. Hitomi wondered briefly which instrument he actually played. She'd heard him banging on the drums, and heard a few strums on the guitar, but none of it she really considered _music_.

She inhaled deeply, going over her day in her head. She woke up, took a shower, got dressed, and headed to the church. She wasn't religious, but they were always kind people with some sort of charity going on. She was delighted to find out their plans and went to Wal-Mart for food. Her search was successful, and she met that wonderful boy… Van de Fanel. What a name. She reviewed their interactions in her head…

_Hitomi walked along, looking for an open isle where she wouldn't be in anyone's way. Her cart would take a while to unload and load again. She went down an open isle and placed her things on the belt. Finally, she looked up at the cashier. Handsome, young. She couldn't help but smile. He looked so glum. _

_ That's where she started babbling while he worked. She really wasn't paying attention to what she said, hoping that a cheerful smile and a conversation would brighten his day. _

_ "Four hundred twenty-three dollars and two cents," he informed her, rather rudely. Having already noticed his bad mood, she didn't let his rudeness get to her. _

_ "Oh, dear, that's a lot," she murmured before continuing her story, while looking for her credit card. She knew she brought it with her. _

_ "Isn't it obvious I'm not interested, woman?" Van interrupted, "Why do you keep talking to me?" _

_ She smiled, thinking the answer was obvious, "I was hoping I could make your day brighter, like my dad. If you don't want me to talk, just say so." So he didn't want to talk. Okay. If it was just annoying him, then it wasn't helping his mood. She would let him sulk if that's what he wanted. _

_ "What's all this food for?" Van asked, looking frustrated. _

_ She answered, just glad he wasn't silently sulking again, "Charity. For kids and old people who can't do things themselves because of something out of their control. Why?"_

_ He blushed, "I didn't think it was for you. That much is obvious because you're so skinny. I was just curious." She wanted to laugh at him. Not to be mean, but because he seemed so… She couldn't think of a word to describe it. He went on to ask her about school, which amused her. Did she look that young? Or was he just assuming she was in school just because he was because he's a teenager that thinks the world revolves around him? In any case, she enjoyed answering his questions until he spotted someone waiting in line. _

_ "Sorry, I have a customer," he mumbled before giving his attention away. She shrugged it off and left. Hitomi had almost reached her car when she heard fast footsteps behind her, not thinking anything of it. She stifled a yelp when a hand touched her shoulder. She turned to see Van panting, looking determined. He was getting what he wanted, and for a moment that frightened her. What did he want? Her fear left when he whispered, "What's your name?" She felt flattered. She didn't usually think this way about guys, but he was a hunk and he was asking her name. _

_ "Hitomi. I'll see you around, Van," she said, departing. She couldn't get his intense expression out of her head when she drove away. What was it that pulled her line of thought toward him? His eyes? His raven black hair? Or maybe just how endearing it was that he ran after her just to ask her name? _

Hitomi was brought back to reality to a sharp knocking at her door.

"Come in!" she called. Mamouru opened her door.

"Mom says you met a guy," he said, crossing his arms.

Hitomi laughed, "Mamouru! He's a teenager working at Wal-Mart. I barely know him. I doubt I'll see him ever again, unless I go back to that cheap store."

Something got Mamouru's attention, "What was his name?"

"Van de Fanel," she answered, "Why?"

Mamouru's eyebrows furrowed, "Oh. Don't you recognize him from somewhere?"

She shook her head, "No."

"He's some rich kid," Mamouru informed her, "Girls trip over him all the time."

"How do you know? We just got here," she said, exasperated.

He shrugged, "I met some people, asked around. Meeting one girl from school was enough to let me know he's trouble. Mysterious, rich, but works at Wal-Mart. He's a weirdo."

She frowned, "He seemed so sad."

Mamouru shrugged, "I don't see why. He has girls, money he could live off of for the rest of his life, and even a job if that doesn't work out. Why would anyone who has all of that be unhappy?"

Hitomi thought for a moment before answering, "Maybe he doesn't have any friends." Mamouru snorted.

"Right. Anyway, I think you should stay away from him," he said firmly, then added, "And mom sent me up here to get your for dinner."

Hitomi rolled her eyes, "You should have told me that first. It's probably cold by now." Mamouru shrugged and the siblings went downstairs to eat in silence with their darling mother.

Upon hitting the last step on the stairs, Hitomi addressed her mom, "I never said it was a guy."

"Good morning!" Hitomi greeted the cashier. Today she was at Wal-Mart on an errand for her mother.

The bored-looking woman nodded, "Hey." Hitomi looked around, a little disappointed.

"Has Van been around?" she asked.

The woman looked at her, a little startled, "No. He doesn't work here anymore. Some say he quit, some say he was fired. No one knows but the boss, and he doesn't like talking about stuff like that. Why? I have his number, I can call and tell him-,"

"No!" Hitomi interrupted eyes wide, and then blushed, looking at the ground, "I'm sorry. No. Don't tell him anything. I was just wondering."

The woman shrugged, "Alright. I say he quit because school is starting."

"That doesn't make sense," said another employee, a man, approaching them, "The boss would just change his schedule, then. He goes to school right in town, and he doesn't live too far away. The boss fired him for running after that girl and leaving a customer unattended." Hitomi fretted that she was the reason he was fired, but changed her line of thought quickly.

"He goes to school in town?" Hitomi asked, "The public school?"

The woman nodded, "Yeah. But I've seen how often he works. If he works half as hard at school as he does here, then he'll need to quit for enough time to work on school things. I swear, until he quit, the boy practically lived here."

The man shook his head, "I still think he was fired. There's still a few days left until school starts." Hitomi bit her lip. Maybe she would have a class with him. That would be… great, if she intended to be his friend. The two employees continued with their debate. It made Hitomi wonder why it was such a huge topic. People got hired, fired, and quit every day. Why should Van matter so much?

"I need to go," Hitomi interrupted, "Can we hurry, please?" The woman look startled again, but continued scanning her things while talking. Hitomi left as soon as she could, wondering why she was so light-headed. She couldn't drive like this. She sat in her car after putting her cart back and leaned her head back.

Inside, the woman and man exchanged a look.

"A woman asking about Van," the woman thought aloud, sounding amused.

The man chuckled, "Wouldn't be a first."

Van stretched on his couch in the living room, watching boring, pointless television. He glowered at the screen. He hated the bright lights and cheerful smiles he saw everywhere. Maybe food network wasn't the place to go if he didn't like those things, but he enjoyed watching what food they made and how they described their food.

His cell phone buzzed. He groaned, dreading it was another girl asking him out. He was going to ignore it, but something caught his eye. It was the married woman from Wal-Mart. She had been pleasant and not the least bit interested in him. He opened it and read the text: _A girl asked about u 2day. Didnt catch her name. Ask her out she seemed nice. _

He rolled his eyes, thinking he should have known better. Despite himself, he hit the reply button. He typed: _I don't care. A lot of girls ask about me. _Then he erased it. He thought for a moment. _Did she have short, honey-blond hair?_ Satisfied with his response, he sent it. Not much later, the reply said: _Ya. U no her?_ He thought again. What did this girl want with him? She didn't seem like the other girls who wanted his money, but… She made him suspicious. So he answered: _Met her once. She was a weirdo; wouldn't stop talking. She does seem nice, but I know better than to judge a book by its cover. _The woman from work didn't reply. So he enjoyed his television show. In the back of his mind, he wondered what she wanted from him and why she went asking questions about him.

Van closed the door to his mansion and climbed into his shabby Chevy truck. It wasn't shabby, actually. It was a nice truck, but it looked shabby because it was dirty and the blue paint was wearing off. He threw his backpack into the passenger seat and revved the engine. He almost wanted to smile at the sound. Instead, he grimaced and went to school.

Hitomi kissed her mom on the cheek and waved, then closed the door. She took a deep breath, smelling the early morning air. She walked through town, enjoying the sounds of birds and ignoring the cars rushing by. People were so impatient.

Looking both ways, she crossed the street to school. Her first day. This was going to be great. And if it wasn't, then… oh well. She'd have to get used to it. She entered the building, smiling at everyone she passed. Some of them just blushed and kept moving, some pretended not to see her, some laughed at her, some smiled back, some greeted her, and some sneered at her.

One person flipped her off, but mysteriously tripped when she turned the corner. Obviously, Hitomi was innocent. Van, however, pretended he didn't do anything and kept walking. It was amusing to him that Hitomi didn't notice him two feet behind her.

Van was glad he didn't have his first class with Hitomi. Then he realized it was more likely she'd be in another of his classes and he was worried. The first day was the first day; a lot of talking, speeches, laughs, introductions, games to learn each other's names, and going over rules.

Van found he wasn't very lucky during his next class. He entered, glad he didn't see her. He found a seat in the back, hoping no one would notice him. Naturally, one girl spotted him and after one squeak of a syllable, he was surrounded by five girls. He sighed, ignoring their cries and questions. More and more came forward to see, and screamed when they saw him.

Hitomi walked through the door of her Chemistry class, immediately greeted by a scream. She looked, alarmed, to see a girl, or ten of them, standing around a desk, chattering and gawking. Mildly curious, but not enough to check it out while the girls were standing there in her way, she sat down in the back. She didn't like to be visible the very first day. She rolled her eyes at some more squealing girls. Whatever they were looking at, she was certain she didn't want any part of it.

The bell rang and the giggling girls either left hurriedly or sat down, never straying far from that one desk. Hitomi already had the seat next to it, so she could wait to see what it was. Finally, everyone sat down. Her eyes popped out of her head upon seeing Van de Fanel, sitting casually leaned back, looking grumpy or in pain, she couldn't tell which, with a dark button-up shirt and jeans. His backpack was on the floor beside him. Slowly, his gaze turned to hers. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Mindy says you were looking for me," he said, slowly.

She recovered and nodded, "Yeah. I was just wondering if we could be friends. You seemed so grumpy; I just couldn't help but think there had to be a reason."

He stared into her eyes, his expression unreadable, "Friends?" She nodded dumbly. "_Just_ friends?" he asked, emphasizing the word 'just.' She nodded again. He looked thoughtful for a minute, "I'll think about it." He turned to the teacher, who then started class.

Van was glad he could keep his cool like that. Were her eyes that green the last time he saw her? Surely not. He should have noticed. They were _stunning_. He didn't dare sneak a glance toward her.

To be honest, he was considering being her friend. Rather, her being his. He wasn't worried about what she'd think of him, but he was worried she would turn out to be like everyone else. Well, not exactly like everyone else. No one in the world had eyes like hers. They beckoned him, pleaded him. It wasn't the first time he'd seen those kinds of luring eyes, but this was different. She wasn't trying to get him into bed; she was trying to get him to open up. For some reason, that was even more terrifying, not that he would ever admit the idea of sex scared him.

What was the harm of being her friend? She could betray him. Oh, yes, she could betray him. She could use him. She could break him. What were the benefits if she didn't do those things? Were those benefits worth the risk? He had to think. Really, he sensed something different about her than other people. Maybe it was the fact she was working for charity when they first met. What kind of person would be actively involved with charity and then go back-stab a friend? Maybe a schizophrenic. She seemed perfectly healthy in the mental department.

It really came down to if he could trust her. Only experience and time would tell. What could he do? He could wait, say he's still thinking. That wouldn't get him anywhere. He could say no, but he'd never find out if she's what she seems, and his curiosity burned in his stomach. He could say yes, and she would either break him or help him. He didn't need help, did he? No, he didn't. That left no change or breaking him. The logical choice: say no. He couldn't bring himself to tell her, though. Every time he turned to her while the teacher wasn't looking, his throat would freeze. So that left one choice: tell her he's thinking about it every time she asked until they were out of high school. Right. Or until he could gather the courage to say no. That seemed reasonable. So he kept his gaze on the teacher until the bell rang. He packed his things quickly, but not quick enough.

"Van?" Hitomi asked. He turned to her and raised an eyebrow. She smiled, "I'm not giving up. I can take a hint. You won't be my friend, I know. But I'm going to push you until you break." With that, she up and left. He stared at her, dumbfounded. What a girl. At the same time, he was certain he was more stubborn than she was. She'd break first. He would make sure to be particularly rude to her.

So began the race.


	2. Unexpected Help

I tried to avoid OOC again, but I'm afraid I failed miserably. Let me know what you think. What should happen? I might be able to use some ideas, although for the next chapter I already have an idea. I need a conflict! This is going too smoothly!

Unfortunately for Van, he had two more classes with Hitomi; Calculus and Drawing and Design. That didn't turn out well. He would sit in the back, girls would swarm around him, and Hitomi would sit as close as possible. In all three classes.

Fortunately for Hitomi, once she began sitting next to Van as often as possible, bullies and such began leaving her alone. Not that she couldn't handle them.

During lunch, she would try to sit next to him, but he'd just stand up and surround himself with girls. Hitomi noticed a girl that constantly followed him around. Maybe she was a freshman. In any case, she was the only girl Van didn't ignore or snap at. He seemed to rather accept her. So Hitomi investigated her.

From listening to their conversations, she learned her name was Merle. She had short pink hair and always wore sundresses. The most noticeable thing about her was that she was always making cat sounds, always referring to cats, always talking about cats, always, always, always cats.

Her world seemed to consist of two things: cats and "Mr. Van." It was strange she was so formal, but soon Hitomi began to realize they were friends. Merle would greet him with a great big hug every day and cling to his arm whenever he allowed it, and if he didn't, she'd be right behind him, sometimes crouching like a cat at his feet. She also cried a lot whenever they had to separate, be it for one night or six years.

So he wasn't miserable because he didn't have a friend. There was something else, and she wanted- no, needed to find out what it was. Something in her head wouldn't let it go. She hated seeing that glum, pained, and bored expression. She just couldn't tell which one he was feeling because his expression said them all. When Merle ran to hug him, his face would lighten, but he never really smiled. That was her goal then, other than making friends with him: to make him smile.

"Hello, Van," Hitomi greeted him cheerfully, sitting beside him. They'd been at it for a week already, and neither one of them were showing signs of budging. Van either ignored her or said something particularly nasty. Of course, he was always careful to never directly insult her or hurt her feelings. He didn't want an enemy; he just wanted her to fuck off, which was something he said often.

"Fuck off," he replied calmly.

Hitomi tried again, "How are you?" No reply, like usual. "Did you sleep well last night?" Still, no reply. "Anything happen that you want to talk about?" Nothing. "How's Merle doing?"

He turned his head to her at last, and said two words, "Fuck. Off." Her lips twisted, trying not to smile. This was more entertaining than insulting. Unless he was to directly hurt her feelings, she'd never back down, and even then she might not. She thought carefully about her next question.

"This weekend," she said slowly, "my brother will be out of town. My mother is feeling really lonely, because of my father's death. It would mean a lot to her if you came for dinner. It'd be that much less lonely. She's so old and fragile-,"

"I'll think about it," he snapped. By now it was established that phrase was code for: No. Her lip twisted again. Van noticed that it looked different this time. She wasn't covering up a smile this time. What was she doing? He turned cautiously toward her, to find her blinking rapidly.

She took a deep breath, "Okay." He stared at her. She wasn't crying… just because… he said… no, was she? He wasn't particularly mean, was he? Was it that important that he be there that weekend?

He narrowed his eyes at her, despite himself, "I'll think about it." The slow, drawn out way he said it made her head snap up to look at him. What did that tone mean? He nodded, "Honestly. I'll think about it." She bit her lip, not daring to hope.

"You have all week to think," she answered at last. The bell rang and Van stood up quickly, like usual, to get out of the room. She stared after him. He'd really think about it. Was she breaking through to him? No, not so early in the game! So what was his plan, then?

Hitomi reveled over her small progress. She was truly upset he said no; she shouldn't have expected anything else. She didn't really. But… rejection is a hard thing to accept on the spot, even if you think you're prepared for it.

She allowed herself a small smile and went to her next class. What was up Van's sleeve…?

Van couldn't believe he'd been suckered into actually thinking about it. So what could he do? He could go. But that would be giving in. He could tell her no, but she'd start crying again. He could say yes and stand her up. That was just plain cruel.

"Can you tell me who said that, Van?" the teacher asked.

Van snapped out of it, "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Franklin Roosevelt."

The teacher nodded, "Good." Van went back to his thoughts. She needed someone to keep the house from seeming empty. He wondered idly if it had to be a male, because the reason for it was the absence of her husband, and Mamouru was the person he had to replace… Maybe gender doesn't matter. Maybe she was just playing him. Maybe she wasn't even really crying before.

"Hitomi?" Van asked, interrupting her the next day in Chemistry, "Why don't you ask someone else to go for dinner?"

She blinked up at him, "Don't be silly. Who can I ask?"

He shrugged, "A friend or something."

She smiled a tiny, sad smile, "What friend? If I remember correctly, since moving here, you've been the only person I've tried to make friends with. I barely know my classmates names. They're all strangers to me." They were quiet for a moment, letting it sink into Van's head. She had no friends because she wanted to be his friend. The least he could do was become her friend so she wouldn't be friendless. Then again, she was doing it to herself.

"How about," he suggested, very slowly, "I send one of my friends over?"

Her mouth twisted, trying not to smile, "Who? Merle?"

He shook his head, "No. A friend you've never met."

"I don't bring strangers to my house, Van," she reminded him.

"Would Merle be okay, then?" he asked, "If you've seen her once, there's nothing left to be found. She's an open book." He tilted his head, "You're kind of an open book, too, aren't you?"

She shrugged, "I wouldn't know. A book can't read." He mulled that over. True. She was on the witty side, wasn't she? He liked that… in a rival. He frowned at that thought. She wasn't a rival, though. If his enemies were witty, that would suck. What was she, then? His eyes widened as he realized. _Friendly_ rivals. But how could that have happened? How could he change it? He couldn't. But he was enjoying this. Did he want it to end? They were rivals after all. They weren't friends.

"You have a week," he reminded her, "Make a different friend."

She raised both of her eyebrows, "You realize I've been pestering you for a week. No one is going to want to talk to me. Besides, that'd be taking time away from you. I wouldn't want to deprive precious Van of his equally precious attention."

He scowled, "You know I don't want those girls' attention."

She smiled, "Oh, I know. I meant _my_ attention."

"Cocky bitch," he muttered, half knowing that she was right. She just kept smiling. Now that he had moved back to cursing her out, she knew she had won that argument. But still, he didn't say he would see her this weekend.

She pouted, "Just dinner. Please? It won't do anything but make my mother feel better."

He glowered at her, "But it gives you a private place to talk to me and convince me to be your friend."

She shrugged, "What can I say? It's a win-win situation. What you don't realize is that you won't regret being my friend when the time comes, because no one regrets being my friend. I still see my best friend Yukari all the time."

"Than have her come over," Van snapped.

"My mom also wants to meet the one boy I've been talking about since school started," she pressed, "and she knows Yukari. She asked specifically for you, and if you had other plans, then someone from school. You're my only option."

He glared at her, "No." She blinked at him, wide-eyed. That was the first time he'd directly denied her. And it stung.

Van hated that look of hurtful shock. He wanted to smile and say 'just kidding, I'll go.' He hated the harsh way his throat and lips formed the word. Instead of apologizing, telling her it was all a joke, he turned back to the chalk board. In his peripheral vision, he saw that same strange twist of her mouth and knew he had hurt her feelings.

Hitomi stood abruptly, took a hall pass, and left the room. The teacher stuttered, called after her, and then the room went silent. Van met everyone's gazes evenly. Each set of eyes said 'what did you do?' or 'you did it' or 'you made the new girl cry.' Even the teacher looked up at him.

"Van? What happened?" he asked.

He shrugged, "Beats me." After a moment, the lesson kicked back into gear. For once, Van was paying attention to class. He didn't want to think about Hitomi crying. He didn't want to feel guilty. So he distracted himself with class work. A lot of it.

Hitomi splashed her face with water in the girl's bathroom. She took a steady breath and wiped her face with some paper towels.

"Are you okay?" asked a timid, high voice. Hitomi knew that voice. She turned and looked at Merle, who looked uncertain for once. "You're the girl that's been bothering Mr. Van and distracting him."

Hitomi shrugged, "Well. This serves me right, I guess." Thankfully, she hadn't really cried. She had calmed down a bit as she walked briskly down the hallway, and by the time she got to the bathroom, only had to steady her breathing, which was done. She couldn't go back and face Van and the class. She'd skip.

"What happened?" Merle asked, "You look awful."

Hitomi sighed, "I guess being rejected was harder than I thought."

Merle frowned, "I had the impression you wouldn't want to date him." Hitomi burst out laughing. Merle didn't know what was so funny about what she said, but she was glad the strange girl wasn't on the verge of tears anymore.

"Date him?" Hitomi finally spluttered, "Are you joking?"

"Then how did he reject you?" Merle asked, confused again.

Hitomi shrugged, calming down again, "I asked him if he would be my friend on the first day of school. He said he'd think about it, but I got the hint. He wouldn't be my friend. He's never outright told me no before. When I asked him to meet my mom, he… he wasn't mean about it, but he was so harsh. It was the first time he'd really said no." What was wrong with her? Why was she telling the whole story to Van's friend of all people? What good could it possibly do? She didn't even know the cat-obsessed girl! When Hitomi looked back up to Merle, she saw the thoughtful expression.

"I'll go," Merle suggested.

Hitomi sighed, "That's very kind, but-,"

"Then it's settled!" Merle said happily, "We'll get to know each other a little this week and I'll come over your house!" Merle was giddy. She had a secret she couldn't tell anyone; not even Mr. Van. Especially not Van. She happily left out of her explanation that if she liked Hitomi, she would help her win Van's friendship. It wouldn't be easy, she knew, but they would do it… If Hitomi was worthy of being Van's friend.

Merle turned to the door to leave, but spun around again and exclaimed, "Oh! And don't tell Mr. Van that we're friends. It's a secret." She put her finger to her lips and left. Hitomi couldn't believe how fast things had changed. She was friends with Van's best friend. Would that help or not?

Hitomi, now finding the courage to go back to class, walked along the halls happily. She was happy she wasn't coming home empty-handed. She wasn't the least bit disappointed. She got the next best thing to Van himself. Her mom would be happy that she had more friends than just this one rude boy that was too busy to visit an old, sad woman.

Confidently, she strode into class, apologized, gave an embarrassing excuse, and sat down again. Van knew her excuse was bogus, but everyone else seemed to buy it. When she sat down again, a smile gracing her beautiful lips, he turned a skeptical gaze to her.

"What made you come back?" he asked curiously.

She shrugged, "Exactly what I said; I had gas and I was too embarrassed to-,"

"Cut the bull shit," he snapped, "What made you come back? I know why you left."

She blinked at him as if the answer were obvious, "Are you implying I would have skipped class because I had gas, Van?" She paused. "Are you implying I would have skipped class because you said no? Aren't _you_ a little egotistical today?" she asked sarcastically. That got him to shut up. Neither of them said anything until the bell rang. When it did, she turned to him and smiled, "I forgive you because that's what friends do." Then she up and left. Again.

"I'll see you later, Mr. Van," Merle murmured sullenly. She let go of Van's arm and began walking away. Van frowned after her. It was Friday, the day he was supposed to meet Hitomi's mom. He had declined, and still had no intention of going. It bothered him that Hitomi would avoid the subject of her meeting her mom. Was it that upsetting?

In any case, that was not what confused him at that moment. He was wondering what was wrong with Merle. Usually she would sob and wail and beg for him to take her with him every night before they went home. Tuesday night she wasn't being so dramatic. Wednesday night, too. Thursday she was normal again, and he thought maybe she was over it, but now she was doing it again.

Van caught up with her, "Why don't I walk you home?"

Merle's eyes widened, "And ruin your shoes? No!"

"I don't mind, really," he insisted. He bit his lip, "Are you okay?"

She blinked at his question and tilted her head in confusion, "Of course. Why?"

"You've been acting strange," he accused her.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm entitled to be happy without your presence. If I'm looking forward to something, why should I cry?" she asked, "Anyway, its taxing to cry every night. I need a break from it."

He nodded, "Of course. I wouldn't want you to get a headache. What are you looking forward to?"

She smiled brightly at him, "Spending the weekend with Mr. Van, silly!"

He spluttered, "What?"

She pouted, "Don't tell me you forgot!" He blinked a few times.

"Of course I didn't forget!" he answered crossly.

She smiled widely, "Great! I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Van!" She skipped away happily mewing. Van shook her head. Maybe his best friend was bi-polar. That would explain a lot. Then he realized something disturbing.

"Merle!" he called after her, "You're going the wrong way!" But she ignored him and kept skipping. To reassure him, she waved to him. She rounded the corner and reached the gas station. There was Hitomi, waiting anxiously. They smiled widely at each other. They had fast become friends. Van was right about both of them; they were open books. At least, Hitomi was to some degree. Every once and a while a chapter would turn French on Merle, but that wasn't often. For Van, more than half her book was Atlantic.

Merle looped arms with Hitomi and they walked to her house. Since Merle was a girl, they all decided Merle was going to sleep over. Merle was so excited. While she was a little jealous, she still found something very interesting. Hitomi and Van should not have been friends; they should have been dating. But Hitomi knew nothing of her plans.

They walked inside and both called out, "I'm home!" Hitomi's mom stood from the kitchen chair and hugged them both.

"It's so nice to meet you, Merle!" Mrs. Kansaki said, "Hitomi's told me all about you."

"Hitomi said you have a cat!" Merle exclaimed, "Can I see him?" So to be brief, the evening with Merle went smoothly. Mrs. Kansaki instantly liked the cat-obsessed girl. While her obsession was strange, she was chipper, cheerful, and emotional certainly and always brightened the room.

Hitomi and she stayed up late, talking and chatting in her tiny room. Mamouru was already gone. They discussed music and movies and animals (cats in particular) until finally the subject moved on to boys.

"I think boys are icky," Merle stated her opinion, "Except Mr. Van."

Hitomi nodded, "A lot of boys aren't worth it. I just hope Van is." Merle sat up, looking alarmed.

"Of course he is!" she nearly screeched.

"Sh!" Hitomi hissed, "My mom is sleeping! Of course he is, Merle."

Merle nodded, "Damn straight he is." Merle lay back down on the carpet on her back, resting her legs on Hitomi's bed in an odd position. Hitomi was sitting on her bed, painting Merle's toes red. It wasn't her favorite color, nor was it her favorite thing to do, but it felt like what she was supposed to do.

They were both in pajamas. Merle wore a very long, white t-shirt. She had packed all her needed possessions in her backpack so Van wouldn't be suspicious. Hitomi wore light blue cloud patterned pajama pants and a pink tank top.

"What did you mean?" Merle insisted, "Of course he's worth the time! I wouldn't hang out with anyone who wasn't!" Hitomi blushed at the unintended comment. Merle continued, "Mr. Van is just quiet and misunderstood. He's rude because it's his way."

"You mean his defense mechanism," Hitomi made sure her translation was correct.

Merle nodded, "I think so. Mr. Van thinks you're very pretty, you know. Don't you think he's beautiful?" She watched Hitomi's thoughtful, then criticizing expressions. Merle waited in anticipation.

"I haven't noticed," Hitomi admitted, "He's handsome, yes, but I'm too busy with other things. If you've said he's graceful in the way he moves, or even sexy in jeans and a button-up shirt, yeah. I haven't paid attention to how he actually looks. I'll have to do that the next time I see him." Not exactly what Merle was expecting, but it was even better.

Merle suggested happily, "Let's watch a sappy romance, eat ice cream, and cry ourselves to sleep." Hitomi laughed and agreed. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and she didn't even know it.


	3. Resolved Quickly

Merle stretched like a cat. She opened her eyes and looked around. Hitomi's room. Great. She sat up and looked around. Hitomi was on the floor because she had to be a good hostess. Merle glanced at Hitomi's alarm clock. Good, she had some time. She kicked Hitomi ruthlessly. She gasped, her eyes opening wide.

"What is it?" she groaned, turning over.

"What is it?" Merle repeated, "What is it? It is time to get up!" She happily shook her friend and sang for her to get up for ten minutes before skipping out of the bedroom and into the bathroom to take a shower, brush her hair, get dressed, and brush her teeth. After that, she hopped back out to find Hitomi stumbling down the stairs for breakfast. She followed cheerfully.

Finally, they all sat down to eat breakfast, Mrs. Kansaki already awake and making food.

Merle sighed when she finished, "I'm really sorry, girls, but I promised someone I would see them today. I forgot I had plans. Would you mind if I invited them over?"

Mrs. Kansaki smiled, "We'd love for another guest."

Hitomi gave her a wary glance, and drew out the word, "Sure."

Merle skipped outside and flipped her cell phone open. She dialed Van's number and listened to it ring. After the twentieth ring, it stopped ringing. She frowned and called again.

Van picked it up on the third ring, "Hello?" His voice was gravelly; just woke up. Prefect.

She put on her best crying voice and sobbed, "Oh, Mr. Van! It's terrible! Help me! Help! I don't know what to do! Help me!"

"What's wrong?" he grumbled, sounding a little more alert.

She sobbed again, "I'm lost!"

He sighed, "Where are you?"

She sniffed, "I'm on Maple Street."

"What?" he shouted, "That's right in town! You can't tell me-,"

She cried out, "Mr. Van, please! I was sleeping at my house and when I woke up, my purse was gone and I was in a place I don't know and I'm really scared and confused and-,"

"I'll be right there," he snapped. The line went dead. She smiled widely and waited. When she saw Van's truck in view, she put on her best sad, distressed face. Luckily, her eyes were puffy from crying last night. Van parked the truck and got out. She looked up at him as if he had just saved her life.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently. She nodded and noted with glee he wore jeans and a button-up shirt that he hadn't buttoned up all the way in his hurry to get to her and make sure she was alright.

Hitomi walked outside at that moment, "Hey, Merle-." She stared, wide-eyed at the scene in front of her. At least Hitomi had taken a shower and gotten dressed before she went to check on Merle. Van blinked, blessedly confused.

"What's going on?" he finally asked. Mrs. Kansaki joined them outside.

"Oh, this is your friend!" she said happily, promptly ushering everyone inside.

"Mom, this is Van," Hitomi introduced him.

Mrs. Kansaki blinked, "Well it's finally nice to meet you! You and Merle is all she ever talks about!"

"Speaking of Merle," Hitomi muttered, "Where is that back-stabbing, conniving, little-,"

"Right here!" Merle piped, sitting in a kitchen chair, "Sit down! Van, eat something!"

Van shook his head, "Oh, no, you don't. You've been in on it together-,"

"Corn bread?" Mrs. Kansaki asked. Hitomi immediately grabbed one. Van hesitated. He was here. He hadn't had breakfast. He might as well. Hesitantly, he took one as well and turned to Merle.

"We need to talk," he said, "Both of you." He spared a glance for Hitomi.

Hitomi raised her hands in innocence, "I don't even know why you're here."

"Well if you have to squabble, do it upstairs in Mamouru's room," Mrs. Kansaki waved them off. Van nodded respectfully, grabbed Merle's hand and looked at Hitomi. Hurriedly, Hitomi showed him upstairs to Mamouru's room. It was large and dirty, with music sheets everywhere and amps, guitars, a piano, and a drum set. Now that she thought about it, Mamouru played the drums. Hitomi closed the door behind her. With all the equipment, it made his room just as small as Hitomi's.

Van turned to Merle, "What did you do and why?"

Merle smiled a little tiny smile, "I slept over Hitomi's house and called you over, duh."

"Why?" both Van and Hitomi asked, Hitomi gently, Van impatiently.

"Because…" she trailed off, "I like Hitomi. You should be at least friends."

Van frowned, "At least?" Hitomi blushed, finally understanding why Merle was asking those questions last night.

Merle shrugged, "I don't like it, but you two love each other. So I'll leave you alone now." Before anyone could react, she was gone. Hitomi heard the door lock, and groaned.

"She's locked us in," she mumbled. Van didn't reply. She sighed, "Silent treatment. Cold shoulder. I get it. I won't talk."

"No," Van snapped, "I don't care if you talk." They were quiet. Van finally asked, "Why was she sleeping over?"

Hitomi took a deep breath, "Remember when I ran out of Chemistry, crying? Well, I met Merle in the bathroom and she said she'd be my friend and meet my mom. Suddenly it didn't feel like a bad idea when she forced it on me. We became friends. She's here for the weekend because Mamouru isn't."

Van sighed, "This sucks."

"Tell me about it. Just last night she made me admit that I-," she stopped herself there. He didn't need to know about it. But when she stopped, it caught Van's attention. He wouldn't have heard her if she continued, but the fact she stopped made him curious. They weren't getting anywhere by being silent anyway.

"What was that?" Van asked.

Hitomi hesitated, then sat on the piano bench and turned away from him, "Nothing." This really made him curious. She wouldn't repeat something she didn't even finish?

"Tell me," he insisted, "You made me curious now pay the price."

She shook her head, "It's stupid. Impossible. Personal."

"Try me," he said simply, sitting on the bench beside her. He was acting strange, he knew. It made him wonder why he had so many impulses around Hitomi. Maybe her impulsiveness was rubbing off on him. No, because Merle didn't rub off on him at all and she's infectious. He'd seen her at her worst.

The blush on Hitomi's profiled face also caught his attention. She was so pale and her blush fantastic. He saw her bite her lip and wondered how embarrassing it was. He didn't even know what she began with. He hadn't been paying attention.

"Tell me," he demanded again, "I'll pay you to tell me."

She rolled her eyes, "Don't be ridiculous. That's like paying someone to be your girlfriend." Then she flushed deeper and turned her head so he couldn't see her beautiful, intense green eyes. It frustrated him.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you," he ordered firmly. Hesitantly, her head spun around, her eyes never locking with his. Again, it annoyed him. "Look at me," he repeated himself. Her gaze flickered up to him. "What did you say?"

She squared her shoulders and met his gaze levelly, "I didn't say anything." He threw his hands in the air in exasperation. She scooted closer, "Let's be friends. Come on. Merle likes me. That has to count as something." It did, and Van didn't like to admit it. However, it was true. If Merle was her friend, he'd never be rid of her. And if Merle wanted them to be friends, she'd get her way.

Here's where most people would think, _oh, I'm at a default so I'll just be her friend_. No. That's not what he thought. He thought, _I'm going to kill Merle and I'm never ever going to be friends with this girl_. Hitomi sensed his mood shifting and knew he was going to become stubborn.

"I don't want to be your friend anymore, anyway," Hitomi said proudly, standing up. This threw off his balance. What? She didn't want to be his friend? How was that possible? Was she joking? It had to be a joke. But it wasn't and he felt it in the air, in her demeanor. He couldn't deny it. She no longer wanted to be his friend.

He sputtered, "What? Are you high?" She turned a shocked gaze on him.

"Aren't you happy? You won," she said, a little dazed herself that she had just said that.

He shook his head, "No! I'm not happy! You can't drop out so early!"

She shrugged, "I am. I don't want to be your friend." With that, she dropped to her knees in front of the door and fussed with the doorknob, ignoring Van's exclamations of denial, ignoring his pleading for her to try to be his friend so the game could continue. She didn't reply to anything he said.

By the time she got the door open, it had sunk in his head and he had gone silent.

"Door is open," she informed him, standing up. She glanced at him, a little disappointed. He looked exactly like he did when she first saw him: bored or in pain, she couldn't tell which. He stood from the bench and blinked at her.

"Good," he murmured. They both stood there awkwardly. Merle came around the corner and smiled, but then she took in the mood. Her smile fell and she walked inside to glance between the two of them.

She sighed, "I thought it would help."

Hitomi shrugged, "It helped me understand one thing. It's time to give up. It was nice knowing you, Merle, Van. I'm changing my schedule on Monday. You should both go home now."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Van agreed before grabbing Merle's hand and dragging her outside. Hitomi fell to the floor and kicked the door closed. She knew by the sound it made that it was stuck now. But it didn't matter. She had just kicked Van out of her life. For real. Permanently.

Hitomi went to school late that Monday. She got to the guidance office and sat down with her counselor.

"I'm sorry, Hitomi," she said, raising her hands in innocence, "I can't do that in the middle of the semester so quickly. Give me a few days to find some spots for you and some teachers, how's that?"

Hitomi stood, "Thanks. Do it ASAP, please." She left the room, her eyes still as dead as when she'd entered. By the time she walked out, it was time for second class. Briskly, she entered Chemistry. She sat down in her usual spot and the girls scattered.

"Good morning," Van muttered. She hummed in reply. "Sleep well?" She pretended as if she hadn't heard the innocent, sweet gesture. Class started slowly and it seemed to drag on forever. Hitomi just wanted to leave as soon as possible. The clock ticked unbearably slow. She was only too aware of Van's glances and twitches.

"Will you be my friend?" he whispered.

"No," she answered curtly, "You've made it obvious you didn't want to be."

Van let inkling of how much he hurt show on his face, "We already were friends. I just didn't realize it."

She raised an eyebrow, "You should have realized it earlier." She turned back to her work with fervor.

Van was at a loss. Everything was spiraling out of his control. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't let her go no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much her angry expression hurt him. He wanted to see her smile again. Her smile was gorgeous. He just stared at her. What could he do? Confess an undying love for her? He almost scoffed out loud at that. Right. Then he hesitated, trying to remember what Hitomi had said on that dreadful day in her brother's bedroom. What had she said?

Slowly, he turned his head to her, "What did you confess to Merle?" She froze, and her pencil dropped. So he'd been right on target. She swallowed convulsively. What could she say? She couldn't tell him. He would reject her if he didn't feel the same way. Just now he was asking to be friends; he didn't love her.

"Nothing," she whispered, picking up her pencil. He sighed.

So the rest of the day went. Merle was particularly sad all day long. After all, it was her fault nothing had worked out, and she lost her only girlfriend. Merle skipped all her classes, sitting in the bathrooms all day.

At the end of the day, Hitomi entered the same bathroom. The two girls saw each other and stared. Merle was trying to memorize her best friend's face. Hitomi was wondering if she could use Merle. She wasn't even sure Van loved her anyway.

"Van needs to open his eyes," Hitomi spat.

Merle blinked and nodded glumly, "On the first day of school he tripped the guy who flipped you off. He beat up the guy who pinched your butt and put a knife to the throat of the girl who sneered at you. He's blind as a bat."

Hitomi blinked, "Possessive, isn't he?"

Merle sighed dismally, "He's been so confused without you. His heart was broken and he didn't even know it."

"Tell him what I said," Hitomi said at a length, "He needs to open his eyes."

Merle's eyes brightened up, "I can fix what I broke?" Hitomi nodded. Merle squealed and hugged her and nodded, drawing herself back, her face set determinedly.

Van stood, waiting for Merle. She was a little late, but he didn't care. Hitomi was angry with him. He wasn't aware of Merle's angry expression, only her vague presence. He turned to her, expecting to see tears like every other day, but jumped when he saw anger. The world spun for half a second and his cheek stung. Slowly, his hand reached up and felt his cheek. He stared at Merle wide-eyed.

"You're so stupid!" Merle shouted at him, "Open your God damn eyes before she leaves you!"

He blinked at his best friend since childhood, "What? I don't know-,"

"You don't know! That's bullshit! B! S! That is the stupidest thing I've heard!" Merle shouted in his face, "Now go to her house and make up, or so help me you'll die by my cat's claws and I'll leave you as well!"

"But," Van spluttered, "She's too stubborn to-."

Merle rolled her eyes, took a deep breath and said calmly, "I can help with that."

"So?" he asked, looking down at Merle again, "What do I do?"

She looked him over, then said, "Change into a button-up shirt and then make up. Buy her something nice."

He licked his lips, "All in one night? But-,"

"Go!" she insisted, pushing him to his truck, "I'll help." So they went back to his mansion and he changed. She dragged him around town, looking at all the shops. The sun was falling and the wind was picking up. Leaves were blowing about. He was nervous about going over Hitomi's house. It was going to be a disaster; he could feel it in his gut.

An old woman in a cloak grabbed his arm. He blinked and looked down at the leathery claw. Was it even a hand? She cackled at his surprised response.

"I'm an old gypsy," she rasped, her voice cracking and dry, "Open your hand, boy." Van frowned, but did so. She placed something in it and cackled some more. "No need to thank me. No need, no need. No repayment."

Van stared at the item in his hand, "What's your name?"

She cackled once again and answered, "Sora. Go along, dearies." Van caught up with Merle and told her he had something. When asked what it was, he said something Hitomi would like. Merle "went home" but he knew she was really stalking him. Straightening his shirt, he knocked on the Kansaki door.

Mrs. Kansaki opened it and sighed, "Oh, dear. Be thankful Mamouru is out getting Hitomi medicine. She's been crying since she got home and has a terrible headache. Would you like to come in?"

He nodded, "Thank you. May I speak with her?"

Even Mrs. Kansaki seemed hesitant, "She does seem to be upset with you."

"That's why I'm here," he explained, "I want to-." He stopped upon hearing a heart-wracking sob from up the stairs. He shifted feet, "I know she's upset, but she's upset because… Do I really have to explain myself? I'm going to make her feel better, let me in her room." Mrs. Kansaki sighed and showed him the way. She knocked on Hitomi's door.

"Dear?" she called. The sobbing subsided. "You have a visitor."

"Who is it?" Hitomi's cracked voice asked.

Mrs. Kansaki glanced at Van, but before she could answer, Van said, "I'm sorry, Hitomi. I'm stupid and-." He was cut off when the door opened, revealing an empty bedroom.

"Come in," came her small voice from behind the door. He stepped inside hesitantly, grasping the thing in his hand tightly. She closed the door. "Sit." He obeyed and sat on the bed, turning to see her in the process. To say the least, she looked awful. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, her face wet, her hair mussed, her lips swollen, and snot dripping from her nose.

Still, he tilted his head and thought about how he loved the way her hair fell... Her broken expression didn't move. She just stared at him.

"Well?" she asked, her voice thick.

His eyes softened, "Sit with me." She sat beside him. He opened his arms up and she rested her head on his chest. "I was saying," he whispered, "that I'm so sorry that I could rip out my own heart and serve it to you for dinner and I still wouldn't feel like I've suffered enough."

"That's awful," she commented, "I would not eat that."

He chuckled, "I know. I'm stupid, aren't I?" He felt her nod. "Why were you crying?" he asked, "I hadn't said anything, have I?"

She shook her head, "I thought Merle couldn't get to you because you didn't say anything to me in Drawing and Design, after I told her to talk to you."

He asked, feeling confident in her answer considering how intimate the moment was, "Will you forgive me?" She nodded yes twice. He hugged her closer. She sighed and snuggled into him.

"I like this shirt," she murmured.

"You can keep it," he offered.

She shook her head, "I like it when you wear it." They went silent. "Mamouru will kill you."

"I know," he murmured, "And I'm going to be selfish and bring you to hell with me."

"You won't go to hell, silly," she giggled tiredly, "You're an angel. Angels have no business there." To that, he had no reply. There was a soft knock at the door.

"Hitomi?" came Mamouru's hesitant call, "I have some medicine. Do you want me to come in or do you want to come out or what?"

"I'll get it," Van assured her and laid her down comfortably on the bed. He turned to the door, opened it, grabbed the cup of water and the medicine, and noted Mamouru's shocked, angry expression before closing the door and handing her the cup and medicine. She sat up and swallowed both. She fell on the bed.

She begged tiredly, "Lay down with me. I've always wanted to sleep next to a boy." He couldn't argue with the woman, seeing as he just got out of a sticky situation, so he lay down behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. He didn't voice how uncomfortable he was; she had just forgiven him. She mumbled something and he heard her snore lightly. He almost smiled at the sound. It was like a miniature sound of his truck.

Suddenly, Mamouru opened the door and glared at them. He froze, seeing their sleeping forms. The way that bastard held her so protectively, the fierce expression on his sleeping face, the caring cradle of her sister's love made him sick to his stomach. This person had hurt her so much, but he couldn't do anything about it.


	4. Love?

Hitomi opened her eyes, not surprised to find herself alone in bed. She had hoped as she fell asleep that Van would stay with her over the night, but she didn't actually think he'd stay. Thankfully, it was Saturday. She really didn't want to go to school. She moaned and little and went to get cleaned up for the day. She looked terrible.

When Hitomi finally got out of the house that day, she felt a ton of a lot better. Van and her were finally friends and her headache was gone. She didn't particularly care what she looked like that day, but she knew what she looked like; terrible.

She was walking around town when she bumped into a sexy man with blond hair and blue eyes. "I'm terribly sorry," he apologized. A little dazed by his appearance, Hitomi stared up at him.

"I-Its okay," she mumbled.

He smiled dashingly, "Is there something wrong, miss? You look upset. Perhaps you're lost?"

She smiled back a little shyly, "Actually, this is the best day of my life."

He laughed, looking relieved, "Care to tell?" At first she was cautious, but seeing the open honest expression on his face, she eventually wamred up to him. He turned out to be Allen Schezar, a senior in their large public school. Hitomi was flattered by all his attention, and his dashing smile made her heart flutter. Their conversation was short but Hitomi found herself fast in love. They exchanged phone numbers and even on Monday morning at school, she couldn't help but think of the man.

Sitting in chemistry with Van helped her take her mind off things. "Have you ever had your fortune read?"

Van's brows furrowed, "Never. Why?"

"Would you like to?" Hitomi asked innocently, "I have terot cards in my backpack."

"I personally don't believe in that stuff," he tried to politely voice his opinion. Upon seeing her hurt expression, he gave in, "but I guess I could give it a try."

She beamed at him. Come lunch time, she was sitting, telling her own fortune. She had concluded that she was in love and it made her dizzy. When a man sat beside her, she turned to him, expecting Van. Instead, she found Allen smiling charmingly.

"What does that mean?" he asked with his head tilted in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

Hitomi smiled brightly, "I'm in love."

He winked, "I wonder who you're in love with." She flushed, having given her secret away so soon. She jumped when Allen was pushed into the table. He glared daggers at the back of the person who shoved him. Hitomi didn't get a glance of who it was.

"Hitomi?" Van asked, blinking.

Hitomi turned and smiled at him, "Van! Ready for your fortune?"

Allen smiled brightly, "I love this stuff! Maybe I could get mine told next?"

"Hitomi?" Van repeated dumbly, then added, "What are you doing with Allen?"

Hitomi looked between the two who were now staring at each other aggressively. "Talking. I bumped into him on Saturday, that's all."

Van glowered, mumbled an excuse, and left the two. Hitomi frowned at Van. What was his problem? However, her attention was stolen away by Allen's gorgeous smile.

~~~Just to let everyone know ahead of time, I extremely dislike Allen, despite my portrayal of him in this chapter. And I'm sorry if I spelled his last name wrong. I'm too lazy to double-check how to spell it. And I'm sorry that this chapter is shorter than the other ones.


	5. The Trap Is Set

Hitomi responded to Van's scowl with a frown. Just after they made up, Van had had a terrible attitude. Perhaps he really did not wish to be her friend and was feeling sour about losing their little game. His arms were crossed and he was leaning against a tree on school grounds. Hitomi was standing, looking down at him concernedly.

"You still don't want to be my friend?" she asked.

He looked up at her, surprised, "Not at all!" When he didn't explain further why he was upset, Hitomi sighed and sat next to him, corss-legged.

"So if that's not why you're grumpy, tell me what's wrong?" she pushed. He just clenched his jaw and looked away, otherwise not answering her question. She narrowed her eyes at him. Something was wrong and it had to do with her. Merle appeared out of nowhere and jumped into Van's lap. He grunted, and wrapped his arms around her, but said nothing else. Merle had been snippy toward Hitomi as well, but they insisted on hanging out anyway.

"If you guys won't tell me what's wrong, then nothing will get better!" she exclaimed, exasperated.

"Something the matter, 'Tomi?" asked a smooth voice.

Hitomi's head snapped around as she smiled and cried, "Allen!" Then she remembered Van's grumpy attitude and sighed, "Maybe this isn't the best time." She jerked her head to Van, who hadn't changed position except his back straightened up. Allen ignored that and sat beside her anyway. She was slightly frustrated with Allen, but let it go as quickly as it had come.

"What's with Mr. Grumpy?" Allen asked. Van raised his chin and met Allen's gaze evenly. The glaring contest went on for a long moment that went completely unnoticed by Hitomi, bless the ignorant child. Van was upset she was hanging out with Allen. While Van was sure Allen brought her a healthier social life, he didn't like Allen. The man was like Van in many ways, except the difference was he used girls. He was rich, handsome, and girls swooned over him. In those ways, the two were alike. However, the similarities stopped there. Allen went through girls like a family of twenty would in the middle of the winter. Even in appearences were they opposites. Allen was blond and Van black-haired. One was blue-eyed and the other's eyes were wine-colored. Van was younger, and therefore shorter. Allen was older and taller. The only physical appearances that were similar were their muscles and young faces.

"Don't call me that," Van hissed, then added upon noticing Hitomi's surprised glance, "Please."

Allen smirked and put his arm around Hitomi's waist, "I'll try not to." Hitomi flushed, but didn't stop him. Her heart raced. They weren't quite going out but they were both aware of each other's emotions for each other. While Hitomi had never told him out loud, she was convinced he knew anyway.

Van growled in the back of his throat, but Merle patted his arm and shushed him before Hitomi or Allen could hear him.

"If you two are going to just fucking cuddle," Van snapped, despite Merle, "just go."

Hitomi flinched, but Allen raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Look who's talking." He indicated to Merle in Van's lap.

Van narrowed his eyes, "That's hardly the same thing."

"How?" Allen snapped.

"Quiet!" Hitomi interrupted, "Stop it! If you really want me to go, Van, I will." She stood before Van could say anything and pulled Allen along. She missed his smug smirk and triumphant glance at Van. Of course, Van was mentally kicking himself. Merle scowled. This was going all wrong.

Van ignored the knocking at his door. He was laying on his bed in the dark, his arm across his eyes. It was Saturday, and he was supposed to be meeting up with Merle and Hitomi, but he couldn't make himself do it. Seeing Hitomi's glazed expression... having to repeat himself several times before she heard him... and the worst part was that Allen was the cause of her dreamy behavior. He hated it. He hated it with all his might.

"Mr. Van?" Merle asked, walking into his room. He felt the light hit his face and heard Merle walk closer, but refused to move. Merle huffed. "I don't like it either, but I endure it! You're so selfish!"

Van scowled at that. Yes, he was selfish. That was hardly the point. He hated Allen with all his might. And if Hitomi wasn't acting all air-headed, then she invited Allen with her. Just the implication made him want to punch the wall. If he went, he'd probably punch Allen instead. He smiled at that. Maybe he _should_ go just to see the look on the man's expression when he punched him in the face.

Then he frowned, imagining Hitomi's reaction. Besides, there was no way he knew for sure that Hitomi had invited Allen.

"I may be selfish," he agreed, "but Hitomi's attitude pisses me off. And so does Allen."

Merle put her hands on her hips, "You wouldn't even know Gaddes if you hadn't met Allen."

Van rolled so he wasn't facing her, "Doesn't matter. I hate Allen."

"You never had a complete and utter hate for him before," Merle pressed, "Just a mild distaste." He made no reply, which made Merle smirk. "You're jealous that he's taking Hitomi's attention away from you!" She almost burst out in laughter. "Wow, this is a breath of fresh air."

"What about you?" Van snapped, "You hate him too."

Merle's brow furrowed, "Not really. Its more like I think he's bad for Hitomi." Van grimaced. He knew she was right, on top of his jealousy. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he always tried not to lie to himself. He was jealous, but he wasn't exactly sure why. What Merle said only felt half right.

"Tell them I'm sick," Van sighed, "I'm not going." Merle huffed again and left his spacious, dark room, purposely leaving the door open so the light would stream in.

A few minutes later, Merle came back in, "I'm not going either. I just called Hitomi. I'm going out with some other friends, though." Not particularly caring, Van let her leave. Merle was excited. She was able to change her plans to meet up with Mamouru instead. She grinned from ear to ear.

Van, however, disliked the sun radiating on his back. With a sigh, he decided to go. Maybe Hitomi didn't invite Allen and he could have time alone with Hitomi.

~~~Uh oh! We can guess what'll happen next! Aren't my plot lines _so_ unpredictable?


	6. Dun Dun Duuunnn!

Van hated how the weather represented the opposite mood that he was feeling. Inside, he wished it was midnight, storming with raging winds and loud thunder. However, it was a sunny afternoon and he had yet to find Hitomi. He was late and therefore she left without him. He remembered Merle also told her he wasn't coming. He grimaced. She either went home or invited someone else to go in his stead. He didn't like that and was determined to never ditch her or be late again so she wouldn't have to fall back on Allen. By the time he got to her house to see if she stayed home, it was around three. The temperature was dropping as of late, and he didn't want to be out. Upon seeing clouds on the horizon, he feared it would snow. Then he began to worry that Hitomi forgot her jacket, since it was so cold and her brother said she had left. Mamouru seemed pretty upset, and Van didn't guess as to why.

Thinking of Mamouru sent a warm thought into his head. Not even Hitomi's brother liked Allen. Perhaps it was a sign that if he just told her how Allen was bad for her, she'd stay away from him...

He ran a hand through his hair and frowned. He had made Hitomi upset the other day by telling her to leave. He probably made it worse by not showing up today. This steeled his determination to find Hitomi.

Just as he thought this, he approached the bridge. An interesting sight caught his determined gaze. Two lovers pulled apart from a kiss, and suddenly he imagined it was him and Hitomi. As much as the thought confused him, he was even more confused when he found Hitomi _was_ one of the two. He noted with distaste that he had just imagined being Allen. Allen was kissing Hitomi. It made him want to throw up. A breeze blew by, and Van was vaguely aware that it had begun to rain and snow at the same time. He was even less aware that his crest-fallen expression had met Hitomi's shocked one. He didn't even notice that he had turned and run away from the wretched sight. Images flashed in his mind, of her in his arms, of their lips touching, of his sweaty body pressed against hers...

He didn't know what he was doing or where he was going. He was just running. His burning lungs and aching legs gave him more reason to run. He became vaguely aware that his face was wet and cold. After a while, running just hurt every part of his body. The pain only fueled him, though, and he kept moving. He did not stop until a coughing fit from the cold air caused him to collapse on the sidewalk.

"Are you okay?" asked an innocent, warm voice. Van opened his eyes and looked up at the blond. He grimaced at her likeness to Allen. Tall, blond, blue-eyed. Instead of answering her, he grunted and pushed himself up. When did he fall asleep in the cold? Why were his eyes swollen? He paused, letting his memories invade his mind. Hitomi... Allen... He stood up, a little wobbly.

"Are you okay?" the woman asked again, waving her hands around. Van guessed it was sign language.

"I'm not deaf," he muttered.

She smiled widely, "Do you need help?" He didn't answer. She hesitated, "Come inside." Before he could even process her demand, she was pulling him inside the house he fallen asleep in front of.

It was warm inside, but it only made Van grimace when his skin began to itch, "I hardly want your hospitality, Millerna."

Millerna pouted, "But you're house is so far away!" She hesitated, "Have you met this girl named Hitomi? I met her through Allen - she's such a wonderful girl! She'd do you good!"

Van growled and pushed past her, taking off his shoes, "I know her. Shut up, I'm accepting your hospitality. Don't make me punch you." She saw the smoldering anger and deep sincerity in his eyes, and closed her lips.

"Is something wrong?" she asked at last, having settled him on a couch with hot chocolate. He gulped down the scalding liquid and grimaced. His eyes closed at the burning in his esophagus.

"I didn't know you knew Hitomi," Van said at last.

Millerna's frown decreased in size, but it was still present, "She's a wonderful girl, like I was saying. You know her?"

Van smiled cynically, "I was the first person to make friends with her." He paused, "Actually, it was Merle who was the first, but that hardly counts. Merle is friends with everyone." He sighed, "Now it seems her friendship with me will break before anyone else's."

"Why?" Millerna asked, frowning.

He scowled, "Did I ever tell you how much I hate Allen?" Millerna's eyes flashed. While she had gotten over Allen, whenever she heard about his playing around with other girls, she got upset. That one sentence seemed to upset her more than usual.

"With Hitomi?" she hissed, "What is that girl thinking?"

Van crossed his arms, "I don't _know_."

Millerna sighed, "I suppose it can't be helped. It had to happen sooner or later. She's new, so she doesn't know any better."

"Someone should have warned her about him," Van suggested woefully.

Millerna stood, "You mean you didn't?"

Van looked up at the blond, startled, "No, I suppose I didn't. I... It hadn't crossed my mind."

"I'm going to talk some sense into that girl!" Millerna shouted, grabbing her jacket. Van grumbled, and she grabbed his shirt, "And you're coming with me!" Van was caught in the torrent of her anger and impulsiveness. He sighed, not liking the way this was heading.


	7. The Speech

"Fuck that!" Van shouted. His cheeks were dusted lightly in pink, and he wobbled a little, leaning against a tall, muscular, dark-haired man. "Gaddes," Van whispered, "you're my best friend. Ya know that?"

Gaddes chuckled, "I think you drank a little too much, Van."

Van spit on the ground, ignoring Gaddes' comment, "Forget about Allen. I'm just going to punch him in the face. Then he'll leave 'Tomi alone. Then we can be friends again." As angry as he sounded, Van had said many other more disturbing things than that about Allen and Hitomi. For a long time Van just brooded over the idea of Allen and Hitomi having graphic sex. When Van got drunk enough, that's all he would talk about. It scarred Millerna for life.

After Millerna could not find Hitomi around town, she had burst into Hitomi's home and demanded she see her. Ms. Kansaki explained that Hitomi was sick and didn't want visitors. Van had narrowed his eyes at that news, hoping that if she was really sick, that she gave her illness to Allen while they were snogging. Then Millerna gathered hers and Hitomi's mutual friends and had a party. This was not the first time Van drank, but it was the first time he got so drunk he needed support to walk.

"Let it go, Van," one of his friends patted him on the back, "Just let it go. If she really loves him, there's nothing you can do. If she really isn't in love, she'll get over him."

Van grumbled, and Millerna frowned, "Let me take you home, Van." Van got in Millerna's fancy Mercedes Benz without complaint and she drove him home. She let him out and he stumbled into his mansion. He remembered vaguely that Merle had called to inform him she was staying over a friend's house. A wave of nausea hit him as he closed the door behind him. He moaned and walked through his spacious and simple living room.

The fireplace blurred into the couch. He frowned at this, but plopped onto the leather couch, wishing the mansion wasn't so cold. He pulled his knees up to his chest and shivered. He wished Hitomi was there so he could wrap his arms around her warm body and sleep again... A strange thought entered his head.

Where did that pink pendant go? He had taken it from the old gypsy woman, but never gave it to Hitomi. _Oh, yeah,_ he thought, feeling a cold lump against his chest,_ I put it on for safe keeping. I'll have to give it to her when I see her again..._

Van opened his eyes. The light streaming in from the window seemed to split his brain in half. It was painful to say the least. He groaned and rolled over, only to fall on the floor and hit his head on the carpet. He moaned again. The world was spinning. He smelled something terrible... and noticed he had pissed himself in his sleep, or possibly when he was drunk. It was relief not to smell puke. Pee he could deal with. He glanced hopefully at the couch to see it was not wet, so he had indeed pissed himself when he was drunk at the bar.

He grimaced at the thought and at the pain. He wasn't a heavy drinker by anyone's standards and his hangover was killing him. Groaning, he stood up and went to go clean himself up and take asprin. God, he needed asprin.

Once he was ready for the day, he sat on the couch he had fallen asleep on and stared at the unlit fireplace. Unlit. The word echoed in his head.

"My life is unlit," he murmured to himself, "without Hitomi." A dark thought entered his mind and he brooded over it. Darkness overtook his mind, and once again he became aware of how ironic it was that it was a bright sunny day.

Van stared up at his bedroom ceiling. Merle did not come home that Sunday. It was nearing dinnertime and he still wasn't hungry. He wasn't aware of when he had drifted into his bedroom to take a nap. He only knew that he had been in there a long time without a wink of sleep. A dark storm was brewing in his mind and nothing cleared those storm clouds away. The phone had been ringing all day and he didn't even notice.

_"I know you're there, Van,"_ came Millerna's stern voice several times throughout the day, _"Pick up or I will personally come over and kick your ass!"_ Once that threat was issued, Millerna was no longer the only person who called. Mamouru called, as did Gaddes and Merle. Not until his bedroom door opened did he have an inkling that there was an outside world.

"Get ready for an ass-whooping!" Millerna had called before the door burst open. When the light reached his face, Van turned his head slowly to the approaching blond. She stopped short and stared. "Are you crying?" she asked incredulously. He had momentarily forgotten how to speak, so only shrugged in response. She let out a low whistle, "Hangover, huh?"He shrugged in response again. She pouted, "You don't have to give me the silent treatment!" His lips formed a firm line and he wiped his eyes, finding they were indeed wet.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his voice was stuck so he sighed and turned so he was no longer facing her.

"Why are you staying inside today?" she insisted, "Its a beautiful sunny evening! Go out for dinner!"

"No," he croaked. She narrowed her eyes at him, disliking his attitude.

Millerna's brow furrowed, "What's wrong, Van?"

He sighed, "I was thinking... about..." he took an unsteady breath, "the color blue." Millerna raised an eyebrow at the strange comment. The color blue made him upset.

"Okaaay," Millerna said, a little weirded out, "I'll fetch Merle from Mamouru's." Van nodded, and Millerna left.

Chemistry the next day was awkward, if anything. Hitomi sat next to Van, flushing slightly.

"How are you?" she asked.

He rested his head on the desk, "Blue."

Hitomi bit her lip, "I'm sorry you had to see that." He didn't respond, so she went on, "Was it terrible of me to kiss him?"

"Blue," he answered. She looked at him, startled by the answer.

She licked her lips, "Well, it was more like he kissed me, but I'm not going to lie to you." He didn't say anything. "Are you mad at me?"

"Blue," he mumbled again.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. Suddenly, Merle and Millerna appeared from nowhere. The class had just stared, but Merle ignored the teacher while Millerna explained they were there to take Van home, who wasn't feeling well. Both girls gave Hitomi wary glances, and she frowned at that. What did she do?

No one denied that Van looked sick. His face was pale and his hair was mussed. He apologized to the teacher before leaving. Not much later, Gaddes came in to take Hitomi out, saying she was sick the day before and shouldn't have been in school. Hitomi was surprised to meet up with Van, Merle, and Millerna. Van still didn't look any better. He seemed drawn, and it reminded her of the Lord of the Rings. The words echoed in her mind, _"Like butter spread over too much bread."_

"Is he okay?" she whispered to Gaddes.

Gaddes shrugged, "He doesn't look it."

"Hitomi Kanzaki!" Millerna scolded her, "What are you doing with a man like Allen Shezar?" And so the speech began in the parking lot at school.


	8. Meeting Dilly

Hitomi sat in her room, dazed. Millerna's monologue had made Hitomi think, and now she was stuck in a daze. No one could guess what she was thinking for her expression was blank. She merely sat, doing nothing, saying nothing.

Finally, her cell rang and brought her out of her reverie, "Hello?"

"Hey, 'Tomi," came a smooth, calm voice.

She frowned, "Allen?"

"Meet me at the bridge, please?" he asked. She bit her lip. She _did_ want to talk to him...

"When?" she asked.

Hitomi looked around. She was standing on the bridge, shivering in her jacket, waiting for Allen. If he was standing her up, she definitely had different feelings about him. While she knew she'd eventually forgive him, she couldn't help but feel slightly indignant. It was no fair that she had to stand in the cold... yet, she still had hope he'd arrive.

"Hey, 'Tomi," came the same cool voice, except it wasn't Allen's. A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold ran down her spine. She turned to the man who had lured her out and came face-to-face with white hair and red eyes. She had to gasp. For all his strange deformities, the man was gorgeous. The passion on his face was evident. Whether he was passionate about making love or killing someone, it was beyond her.

"Hi," she replied breathlessly.

He smirked, "Were you planning on seeing your dear Allen?" Something about his cocky grin frightened her. It was so full of _malice_... "Something wrong, 'Tomi?" he asked innocently, contrasting his smirk. When she said nothing he went on to ask, "Cat got your tongue?"

Hitomi smiled hesitantly, "I was under the impression it was Allen who called me."

He held out his hand, "The name's Dilandou."

Hitomi hesitantly shook it, "You know mine. Why'd you call me out here?"

Dilandou's eyes went half-crazed for a moment, "To see Allen's new toy, of course."

"Toy?" Hitomi scoffed, "Hardly. I wouldn't let anyone use me like a toy."

Dilandou chuckled, "Then I suppose you'd rather be compared to a fiddle? Because he's playing you like one."

Hitomi scowled, "So I've been told."

"Let's walk," Dilandou suggested, "Its cold. Perhaps we could go for a drive as well?"

She hesitated, "I don't know you very well."

He nodded, "True. I promise on my life I won't harm you. In fact, I go to your school. I'm in your History class."

Hitomi's expression cleared, "I thought you looked familiar. How did I not recognize you?"

He shrugged, "I sit behind you. You don't usually see me anyway." She was still reluctant, but eventually agreed to go on a drive. They walked to Dilandou's car, talking the entire way there. It wasn't friendly or unfriendly conversation. It was like speaking with a stranger. They finally got into his car, and Dilandou turned up the heat uncomfortably high.

"Where are we going?" Hitomi asked quietly, watching the town pass them by.

He shrugged, "I was thinking my place." When she looked worried, he chuckled darkly, "Don't worry. I promise no harm will come to you." She relaxed a little at that, but still didn't seem completely at ease. So Dilandou turned on the radio. Hitomi was surprised to hear classical come out of the speakers. When she looked at Dilandou, she didn't think Mozart. He noted her surprise with amusement. People were so predictable, yet this particular girl amused him. Perhaps it was just the fact she was the only one of Allen's toys that he could play with.

"I can change the music if you wish," he suggested. She shook her head slightly and turned to watch the scenery go by.

A question came to mind during the ride and she couldn't keep from asking, "Why did you call me out?" His expression turned dark for a moment, then lightened up.

"I told you already," he laughed lightly, "I wanted to meet you. That's all." He hesitated, "I also wanted to...ah," he smirked, "how to put it? Send Allen a warning."

"A warning?" Hitomi asked, confused.

Dilandou smirked, "Don't worry, love. You won't have to do much." After another moment of silence, Hitomi took off her jacket. It was so hot in the car. He turned the car around and Hitomi gave him a questioning look. He ignored it and asked, "Can we be friends now, 'Tomi? I mean, as long as you don't mind the fact I don't particularly care for Allen."

Hitomi sighed, "I have enough friends that don't like him that it doesn't matter if you don't. I'll be your friend."

Dilandou beamed, looking unnatural, "Great!" He pulled in front of her house and walked her to the door. He kissed her knuckles before getting back in his car and leaving.

As Hitomi got into bed that night, an incessant noise reverberated in her mind. It was a menacing chuckle that slowly turned to full-out laughter that belonged to a psychopath. There was no doubt in her mind that it belonged to Dilandou.


	9. Better Than Expected

Hitomi went to school the next day, feeling tired. Her sleep had been so restless that she was ready to collapse by the time Chemistry class came up. However, comparing herself to Van, she felt wide awake. The boy was staring, wide-eyed, his head resting on the table. He looked as if he just woke from a nightmare.

"Are you okay, Van?" Hitomi asked worriedly.

He lifted his head and turned to stare at her, "Hitomi. I got wasted this weekend. Do you hate me?"

Her brows knitted together. "Not at all. Are you okay?" she repeated herself.

He blinked at her and sat up, "Not at all. I'll live, though." He took a deep breath, "Thank you. I feel better knowing you don't hate me." He paused, "I have some things on my mind, so don't worry about me." His own brow creased, "What are you doing about Allen? I really think he's bad for you." Hitomi had half a mind to raise her chin and tell him, 'who are you to lecture me? It isn't like you treat me any better.' The thought was true. He was rude and cheap. However, something in his expression held her tongue. _Besides_, she thought,_ I let Millerna lecture me the other day without complaint._

At last, she answered, "I don't know yet." _Great_, Van thought,_ even if he cheats on her, she'll be the type of girlfriend that will forgive him no matter how many times..._

He sighed, "I'd just feel better... Rest easier if you stopped," he grimaced, "seeing him. He's just going to hurt your feelings. The only reason he's kept you so long is to spite me."

"Spite you!" Hitomi nearly exclaimed, but then remembered the teacher was still in the room, and quieted down, "Hardly. The world doesn't revolve around you, Van." Seeing his case hopeless, Van sighed. Hitomi watched his expression become more drawn. He was starting to look old.

Wanting to salvage what little friendliness she had left for him, Hitomi asked, "Are you feeling alright? You don't look like you've been sleeping well."

He grimaced, "It's noticeable, huh?" He glanced at her, "You don't look so hot yourself." She thought about the laughter last night and Dilandou's red eyes...

In Van's perspective, she was changing the subject when she asked, "Do you know a guy named Dilandou?"

His expression turned wary, "Yeah. Why?"

She shrugged, "I met him last night. To say the least he's an interesting character."

Van's eyes widened in alarm, "You aren't leaving Allen for Dilandou, are you?"

She shuddered, "God forbid, no. I think he'd murder me in my sleep before the question escaped my lips." Van visibly relaxed.

"What kept you up, though?" he returned to a less scary topic.

Hitomi looked him in the eye, "I told you. I met him last night. His laughter kept me awake all night."

Van's eyes flashed, "He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

Her expression turned horrified, "No!" He relaxed again, so she changed the subject yet again, "What kept _you_ up last night?"

His eyes gleamed for a moment and he suddenly looked much much more tired. "Blue," was his only answer and it only proved to confuse Hitomi.

That day, at lunch, Hitomi couldn't decide who to sit with: Van or Allen. After their conversation in Chemistry, she wasn't putting Van in a situation where he had to deal with Allen. But when she decided to sit with Van, Allen spotted her and waved her over. She gave Van a sympathetic smile and went to go sit with Allen. Van, however, picked up his food and went to follow her. Hitomi realized he was just putting himself under more stress, but didn't want to argue with him either. They sat, Hitomi in the middle, Allen ignoring Van, and Van spacing out.

"Hey 'Tomi," greeted the calm, chill voice that sent shivers down Hitomi's voice. Hitomi smiled and turned to Dilandou.

"Hey, Dilly," she greeted him back. His eyes flashed with anger, and for a moment she was scared, but then he barked out in laughter.

When he was finished, he smirked, "Funny, 'Tomi. Funny. Anyway, I came to give this back to you." He handed Hitomi her jacket and she flushed, realizing she forgot it in his car. Dilly repeated her thought aloud, "You left it in my car last night. I do hope to see you again soon." With that, he turned and walked away. Hitomi let out a shakey breath when he was out of sight.

"You're friends with Dilandou?" Allen's voice was quiet.

Hitomi shrugged, "Just because he's creepy, doesn't mean he'll harm me."

"He's dangerous," Allen cautioned.

"I'm sick of people warning me who and who not to hang out with!" she finally exploded, standing up. "Allen," she faced him, "we're no longer an item. I know about all the girls you cheat on me with. We can be friends if you fucking want, but I'm not standing for this anymore." She turned to Van, "You're not my father, and you're not my boyfriend. Stop pretending like you have some sort of obligation to protect me. I can take care of myself."

While Allen was too stunned to say anything, Van lifted his head off the table and met her gaze, "I was under the impression I was your friend. Isn't that what friends are for?"

"Friends are for a lot of things," Hitomi snapped, "but sheltering me from every potentially harmful people in the world isn't one of those things." She turned on her heel and ran after Dilandau. Van placed his head on the cool table top and exhaled. This was too stressful for so little sleep.

Allen shook his head, "Wow. What a girl. I actually respect her more now." He turned to Van, "You okay?"

Van closed his eyes, "She said she wouldn't leave you for Dilandou." He paused to let it sink into Allen's brain and finished, "I wonder if she was lying to me."


	10. Welcome

Hitomi opened her eyes, momentarily disoriented. She groaned and looked around, finding a meticulously cleaned room, except for the bed she lay on and the sofa, where she saw Dilly staring at her. She jumped in surprise, but calmed her racing heart.

"That went better than I expected," he commented, almost to himself. "Are you aware, Hitomi, of how worried everyone is?"

She scowled, "Maybe. I'm glad I was able to tell them both off." A memory of Van's drawn face flashed through her head, which made her feel momentarily guilty.

"You see," Dilly was saying, "my goal in my high school career is to make Allen's life miserable. However, along that path, I made enemies. Van is one of them. Its hard to tell which is my larger focus. My display today was to make Allen suspicious of you cheating on him. However, I didn't know you were friends with Van as well. When you shoved those stakes into their hearts..." he closed his eyes and shivered in what Hitomi could only guess as ecstacy, "It was beautiful, the shock and awe on Allen's face. The humbleness it will install." He opened his red eyes again and they stared at each other as he went on, "Poor Van is going to be so worried. Perhaps he'll become ill."

"Stop it," Hitomi snapped, "I don't enjoy my friends' suffering." Dilly looked displeased for a moment.

Then he sighed dramatically, "I suppose it can't be helped, can it?" He hesitated then suggested, "We should do something."

Hitomi narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Like what?"

His eyes gleamed, "Have you ever seen a guymelef fight?"

"Oh," Hitomi relaxed a little, "I've seen a few on television. Why? Is there a fight today?"

Dilly smirked, "No. However, I do have two spare guymelefs in my backyard..."

Her eyes widened, "What? Are you kidding me? Those things are expensive!"

He shrugged, "I have a rich foster father. Want to try?" She was hesitant, but eventually complied.

"Just walk like normal and the guymelef will do the rest," Dilly assured Hitomi from his own guymelef. She had just gotten in and found herself unused to it instantly. With Dilly's strict teaching, though, she got the hang of it eventually. She was convinced at times that Dilly was trying his hardest not to just slap her for her incompetence.

"I can't hold a sword at all! How can I wield one now?" she hissed. It wasn't even ten in the morning when she said that, but by dinnertime, she still couldn't hold the sword correctly. She could practically feel Dilandau's frustration rolling off of him in waves. When he decided they should stop, Hitomi insisted she should go home. Haltingly, Dilly agreed and brought her home. Hitomi made sure she didn't forget anything, thanked Dilly for the experience of being inside a guymelef and went inside to explain to her mother why she never came home and why she hadn't gone to school either.

Thankfully, they had this week off. It was Thanksgiving. Hitomi wasn't sure why they needed the entire week off for Thanksgiving, but she let it go. Things were still tense between her and Van. Allen, however, was not joking when he said he respected her more, and they were getting along perfectly. While they weren't openly hostile to each other, Van would sometimes make a bitter remark and she'd bite back. They also no longer went out or hung out outside of school. Van was still upset about Dilandau, who found it amusing to sit with them at lunch. While Allen didn't like it either, he took it in stride. Van, on the other hand, was stubborn as a mule and would not budge. He would act rather childish and either not say anything to Dilly or insult him constantly.

"Hitomi," Van had said, sounding tired for the first time since the day Hitomi had run off with Dilly. This immediately brought Hitomi's attention to him. He had looked up at her with the saddest eyes in the world, "Can we hang out next week?" He looked pained in a way he couldn't understand, "I'd like to spend the entire week with you, if that's possible. From Monday until we go back to school. We can go wherever you want and do whatever you want. I'll sleep on the couch at your house if I have to."

Hitomi's eyes had softened, and she had answered, "I'll try as hard as I can."

So Van was silently driving Hitomi to his mansion. Ms. Kanzaki had agreed to switch Merle for Hitomi for the week and even went as far to say that if Van needed Hitomi on actual Thanksgiving day, he could keep her. Hitomi suspected Ms. Kanzaki had seen the same old, sad expression that Hitomi had.

As Hitomi examined Van's face while he drove, she became aware that he always looked slightly tired. She hadn't spent a lot of time staring at his face until that moment, so it had passed her attention.

"What brought this on?" Hitomi asked curiously. He didn't turn to her, but shrugged in response. So he didn't want to talk about it. That was okay with her.

He asked her suddenly, "A week or two ago, Dilandou gave you a ride in a guymelef. How did that go?"

Hitomi smiled softly, "He's a strict teacher, I'll tell you that. But I learned quickly how to use the guymelef. I just couldn't... ya know... actually fight."

Van seemed thoughtful, "Did you try fighting without a sword?" She gave him a startled glance. The thought hadn't even occured to her.

"No," she answered slowly, "I don't see how that would help, though."

He shrugged, "I suppose it would develop your battle instincts. If you want to learn how to fight in a guymelef, you should learn how to fight in general first. Fist fighting is easiest in a guymelef... in some ways. You should try that next time... if there is one." He spared her a glance. "Until then, I can try to train you with a sword without a guymelef."

"You can wield a sword?" she asked curiously.

He nodded, "My parents..." he trailed off, "They insisted on it since I was young." They stopped at the end of Van's driveway and Van helped Hitomi climb out of his truck. He smiled at her after closing her door, "Welcome to _my_ holiday."


	11. First Day of Break

Van began his holiday week by giving Hitomi a tour of his mansion. She was worried she'd get lost, but Van reassured her. "I'll stay with you," he told her. His mansion, to say the least, was aesthetically pleasing. It was simple and spacious, yet something about it seemed so... sophisticated. "Besides," Van was saying, "It isn't like you need to go anywhere. Our rooms are right next to each other. The bathroom is down the hall from there. The living room is down the stairs, and the kitchen is right next to the living room."

Hitomi's brow creased, "I won't get to see the rest of the house?" He paused at the question. _The rest of the house..._

"If you really want," he answered slowly, "I can show you." Hitomi beamed at him and he responded with his own fake smile. He brought her around, to the drawing room, the dining room, the guest rooms...

"If these are the guest rooms," Hitomi asked, "Whose room am I sleeping in?"

Van shrugged nonchalantly, "My parents'."

She stopped walking and stared at him wide-eyed, "I'm alone with you at your house without adult supervision?" Van stopped as well and turned to her.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, "I'm not Allen." Then he added with a cynical grin, "Or Dilandou." Their eyes met for a moment, "I live with Merle and I have no adult supervision."

"But Merle is like your sister," Hitomi insisted, "That's different."

Van asked with a smirk, "Then what are we?"

"Best friends," she answered quickly.

His smirk grew, despite how it felt like the phrase was lacking something, "What in the world would I possibly do to my best friend?" When Hitomi scowled at that, his smirk dropped. She noticed and watched him warily. "Don't you trust me, Hitomi?" he asked gently. Their gazes locked again, and Hitomi couldn't help but feel her heart melt.

"Of course I trust you, Van," she assured him, knowing to the depths of her soul that she did. He smiled at the reassurance and continued showing her around the house, this time in silence. One question burned in Hitomi's gut, and rose to the surface. She tried to keep it in because the silence was so comforting, but her curiosity finally won over her mouth.

"Where are your parents, anyway?" Hitomi blurted.

Van shrugged, "I don't know." Hitomi scowled at that.

"They just left you here all alone?" she asked, "Do they even know I'm here?"

He shrugged again, "They might. I told them, but..." he trailed off. Something in his tone made Hitomi pause in her thoughts. She tried to examine his face, but his expression was unreadable. His bored, pained mask was back.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. He turned his hard eyes on her and stopped walking. She stopped as well and they stared at each other for the longest moment of her life. It only reminded Van of that one moment in his childhood that seemed to last his entire life span...

"Do you want to see where my parents are?" Van asked quietly. She frowned at the strange wording of the question, but nodded anyway. He set off at a brisk walk. Hitomi scrambled to follow in his suddenly wrathful wake. His strides were long and he was hard to keep up with, but somehow Hitomi noticed that they only skipped over one room in the giant mansion.

Van brought her outside, and they trekked into his backyard. Just when Hitomi thought the walk would take a long time, Van turned and within minutes they stopped. For some unknown reason, there was a shovel leaning against a tree and there was a spot obviously recently dug up beside it. Van took the shovel and began digging. It sunk into Hitomi's brain. His parents were dead? But that spot he was digging up wasn't big enough for one body let alone two...

She waited for him. At last, he threw the shovel down and leaned forward into the hole. She watched with wide eyes as Van pulled up an urn. Then another. Then a portrait.

"When people ask me," Van said, his voice detached, "where my parents are, I tell them I don't know. I'm not joking when I say that." He handed her the portrait and Hitomi reluctantly examined it. A woman with dark hair like Van, and a man stood in the center of the picture. A baby was in the woman's arms and a little blue-haired boy sat on the ground, clutching his mother's skirt.

Tears filled her eyes, "Oh, Van. I had no idea they were... were..." She ran forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her face in his chest and the tears spilled over her cheeks. "I'm so sorry," she choked out. Van surprised her by stroking her hair and murmuring comforting things in her ear. She wiped her eyes and cleared her throat. "I should be comforting you," she half-laughed.

He shrugged, "I got over it... to a degree." Hitomi glanced at the photo in her hands.

"Who is that?" she nearly whispered, indicating the blue-haired boy. Van's mask came back, and Hitomi instantly regretting asking.

However, Van answered, "My brother. He went missing shortly after they died. I'm... I'm not quite over that. Sometimes I... I have nightmares about..." A beep interrupted him and he pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. He grimaced, but answered.

"Thank you for calling Mr. Lovely's sex line. How may I pleasure you?" he asked. Hitomi's eyes widened at that, but when Van winked and rubbed her shoulder, she knew he was joking. "Yes," he murmured into the phone, "I understand, Balgus." He paused, "I was thinking about something. Perhaps... teaching will help me learn." He paused, smiled briefly, and thanked Balgus over the phone before closing it shut and smiling at Hitomi.

"Balgus?" Hitomi asked, confused.

Van smiled, "God father and teacher. He used to be my private tutor until..." he waved to the urns.

The walk back to the house was somber. For some reason, Hitomi couldn't help but think of the one room Van didn't show her. Maybe he hadn't shown her on purpose. But why would he do that? Not sure why, she didn't feel quite comfortable asking Van, so she decided that she'd check it out herself when she got the chance.

"So does Merle usually sleep in," she paused, "_my_ room?"

He smiled softly at her, "She sleeps in my brother's room."

Hitomi grinned, "Like a replacement sibling." Van blinked at the thought, and grinned as well. Merle was sort of a replacement for his brother. They entered the house and Hitomi's stomach growled. The first thought that went through his head was the number on his speed dial. Before he reached for his phone, he figured he'd ask Hitomi if she even liked Chinese food.

"Do you feel like Chinese tonight?" he asked her.

She shrugged, "Sure. But its time for lunch. Let's have something else." Van's brow creased. He hadn't made food in forever. Sure, he liked food network. Yes, Merle cooked for him all the time. However, more often than not, Merle would not cook and he'd end up ordering Chinese. Every now and again he'd have pizza delivered, but...

"I don't know what to make," he admitted at last. They were in the kitchen, Hitomi checking the cabinets and fridge.

"Merle must really like strawberry ice cream," Hitomi commented upon opening the freezer, ignoring his statement.

He flushed, "Merle keeps her ice cream in her fridge upstairs." Hitomi looked at him and raised an eyebrow, earning a cuter, deeper blush. "She's afraid I'll eat it."

"Does she have reason to be frightened of that?" Hitomi asked.

He grinned awkwardly, "Yeah." She chuckled and went back to looking around for something to eat. She placed a pan on the stove and turned it up. Van turned it down, but left it on. When Hitomi turned to him with another raised eyebrow, he merely smiled and informed her, "I only said I don't know _what _to make. You're a guest; I can't let you cook."

She grinned, "Eggs." He paused. Eggs. So simple. When was the last time he ate eggs? When was the last time he _cooked _eggs? He smiled at her and got out eggs and some bacon for himself.

"I do have to tell you, though," he warned, "I can't remember the last time I made anything by myself. It might just kill you." Hitomi laughed easily. Van found a grin on his face that threatened to crack his skull. When he served their food, he commented, "I think cooking is relaxing." Hitomi nodded in agreement. She bit into her food, and Van was concerned about the shock on her face.

"Van!" Hitomi gasped after swallowing, "I thought you said it might kill me! Its delicious!"

Before deciding on his course of action, he asked seriously, "You're not bullshitting me, right?"

She punched his arm, "I don't bullshit people, Van. I'm serious! This is so good!" He felt secretly proud of his food. He munched on his bacon and found Hitomi eating so fast, she threatened to swallow the plate whole. Van found this amusing and watched her. After a minute, though, she stopped and looked up at him. "Why are you staring at me?"

He blinked and pulled out of his reverie, "I was staring?"

She nodded, "It was kind of creepy."

"Sorry," he smiled apologetically and ate the rest of his food. After they finished eating and washing their plates, Hitomi gave him a smile that melted his bones and turned his brain into a puddle of goo. Something in her smile was so endearing... her eyes beckoned him to get closer...

"You okay, Van?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts, "Your face is all red."

He smiled goofily at her, "Is it?"

She rolled her eyes, "Fine. Disregard my care." That last word echoed in his head for a few moments before what she said registered in his brain.

"I wasn't disregarding it," he replied, trying not to sound defensive but failing miserably, "I was just... slow for a minute."

Hitomi sighed, "It doesn't matter. What are we going to do now?"

He shrugged, "Are you settled in your room?" She shook her head and the two of them went upstairs to unpack Hitomi's things. That afternoon was surprisingly fun. After silently getting Hitomi settled into her room, Hitomi engaged him in a wrestling match by pouncing on his back. It was strange to be so free and happy with each other. Recently they had been rather uncomfortable around the other and their conversations had been, to say the least, stiff. Suddenly Allen and Dilandou didn't matter and all that did matter was having fun.

In a breathless heap, Van on top of Hitomi, the two lay. Van was decidedly the victor, although Hitomi put up a damn good fight. Van reminded her breathlessly throughout the match that he had muscle on his side. As they lay, without breath, hearts pounding, they felt oddly comfortable. Van's head rested between her shoulder blades and Hitomi lay on her stomach. Originally, his hands had been holding down her wrists, but now it seemed to him more like holding hands.

"I want... to beat you... so bad," she panted. Van listened to her voice through her back and smiled at the vague syllables. How he wished "to beat" wasn't in that sentence. His head rose and fell with each breath from Hitomi. He heard her heart pounding and wondered if she knew how hard it was laboring at the moment.

"Hitomi," he murmured.

"Hm?" she replied.

He took a deep breath and removed himself from her, "Are you okay?"

She sat up and groaned, "I think you broke my wrist." She winced when she rolled her hand in a circle.

He rolled his eyes, "You're a big baby."

She pouted, "Will you take care of your baby? She's injured." His heart skipped a beat. His baby? Oh, he wished that was an endearment he could use.

"Of course, baby," he whispered. Hitomi looked at him, a little confused by his tone. He took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles, then her wrist. She flushed and avoided his eyes, even though he tried to catch her gaze from behind long eyelashes.

"Van?" she whispered, daring to look him in the eye. He lifted his head and leaned forward.

"Yes, babe?" he murmured. She could feel his hot breath on her face and secretly relished it. Why was her heart pounding? What was Van doing? Calling her "babe" and getting in her face! Strangely, though, she didn't mind. She loved it. If it always felt like this, she'd give up her personal bubble for the rest of her life. Her throat stuck. What was she going to say again? She couldn't remember. His scent overwhelmed her senses. He smelled like a sunny day, in a grassy field... Perhaps he smelled somewhat like cinnamon as well.

Van tilted his head and repeated himself, "Yes, babe?"

She snapped out of it momentarily, so she whispered, "What time is it?"

"Does it matter when we're together?" he murmured. Her breath hitched. Did it matter? What were they talking about? All she could focus on was the intensity of his wine-colored eyes.

"Together?" she repeated, as if she didn't understand what the word meant.

He smirked, "Perhaps I should leave you alone to recuperate." He leaned back and hesitated. She shook her head and blinked a few times. "Did you hit your head?" he asked.

She smiled, "I'm fine." He relaxed a little and helped her stand. "What time is it?" she asked again. Van took out his phone and flipped it open.

"Did we have a late lunch?" he asked, his brow creased.

Hitomi shrugged, "I wasn't paying attention."

He frowned, "It's nearly five in the evening. Are you getting hungry?"

She shook her head, "No."

"Hm," he murmured, then suggested, "Why don't I show you the basement, then?"

She shivered, "I hate basements."

He rolled his eyes, "Big baby. It'll be fine." She gave in and they went through the house and finally reached a door. Van unlocked and opened it. Behind the door were stairs. A draft sent chills down Hitomi's spine. Van stepped on the first step in the dark. However, he didn't hear Hitomi move and turned to see her shiver. He smirked, "You're such a baby." He grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.

She stumbled and bumped into his chest. "You jerk!" she shouted, lamely hitting his chest with her free hand. He chuckled, but didn't let go of her.

"You're just saying that because you're scared," he accused her while they walked cautiously down the stairs in the dark. He felt her shiver again. This made him concerned, so he rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand, "I'm right here, Hitomi. It isn't half as scary when we find the switch at the bottom of the stairs."

Right on cue, they reached the last step and with a flick of his wrist, light flooded their vision. Hitomi had to squint at first. It was large and comfortable, if a little chilly. There was no furniture, and weapons lined the walls. There were swords, machetes, maces, and even a pair of floor was padded as well.

Van pulled out two wooden swords and handed one to her.

He smirked, "Learn how to do it outside of the guymelef first."

~Later

"Van!" Hitomi complained, "You're going easy on me, I swear!" Hitomi and Van were both sweating and panting, Van having taken off his shirt to cool off earlier. They were doing simple exercises and Hitomi was easily winning. Despite that, they were both tired and aching. Even the simple things took energy.

Van flushed at being found out, "Not _that_ easy." She rolled her eyes and dropped the tip of her practice sword to the ground. "Look," he said, "would you rather learn the basics and have a chance or just get beaten over and over?"

She threw her hands in the air, "How can I learn if I'm not challenged?"

Van sighed, "Fine. Ready?" She nodded and got into stance. He lunged forward, and with a loud clatter, Hitomi's weapon was on the ground, and Van had his sword up at her neck. "Feel challenged enough?" he snapped. She flushed and looked away. "Don't question my teaching methods, Hitomi. I do what I do for a reason."

"Okay," she replied, her voice small. He licked his lips, hating the way the two syllables left her lips.

He ran a hand through his hair, "You okay?" She nodded and he mentally kicked himself for being rough with her. "Let's take a break," he offered, "Are you hungry?" She nodded and he frowned at her behavior. He put their things away and helped her up the stairs in the darkness. He silently cursed the person who put the switch at the bottom of the stairs. What an idiot!

They reached the top of the stairs and Van called the Chinese place while Hitomi closed the basement door behind her. When he hung up the phone, she still wouldn't look at him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, "You're not mad at me are you?"

She smiled softly, but didn't look directly at him, "I could never be angry with you, Van."

He hesitantly smiled, "I remember one time when you were angry with me."

She blushed and looked at the floor, "Well that was before."

"Before what, might I ask?" he asked, leaning against the wall. It was amusing to watch her struggle for words. Then her frustrated eyes met his and he was struck again by how vibrantly green her eyes were.

"Nothing," she answered quickly, ready for her throat to close and keep her from speaking again. What was this? Every time her eyes grazed over his sweaty, sexy chest... Every time his wine-colored eyes met hers... Her heart skipped a beat. What was wrong with her? It was just Van... in all his manly, sweaty glory._ Face it, Hitomi,_ said the Merle/Millerna voice in her head, _You're head-over-heels for your best friend._

She shook the thought out of her head and smiled at Van, "Let's wash up. I feel like I was training with a sword for over an hour!" Van chuckled and they went upstairs. He showed her to the bathroom with a smile and went to his own personal one. She stepped into the bathroom and narrowed her eyes. It was obviously decorated by a girl- or for a girl. Possibly an EXTREMELY feminine man decorated it, but Hitomi didn't know too many of those and none of them lived in Van's mansion.

For example, the curtains were pink and frilly. As Hitomi examined the bathroom, she became more and more convinced that Merle had decorated it for her arrival especially. Hitomi frowned at that. She tossed the doilies and strange dispensable girlie things and tossed them. She was left with pink frilly curtains for the window and pink heart bath curtains. She could do with those.

Once she was undressed and in the shower, she became aware that Merle had not chosen Hitomi's brand of shampoo. Instead, she found a green bottle labeled: Shampoo, and another blue one that was labeled: Body Wash. She narrowed her eyes at that. It was obviously hand-written, which made her instantly suspicious. She popped the shampoo open regardless and the scent of a field of grass on a sunny day hit her nose. Van instantly came to mind.

Smiling, she continued washing herself.

~Van

He sat in the living room, waiting. He bounced his leg impatiently. What was taking her so long? The food had arrived and she wasn't down yet. He'd knocked on the door and she'd told him she'd be right out. It was five minutes later and she wasn't out yet. Maybe he was just really impatient or maybe the clock was slow, like he speculated it was.

Hitomi appeared from behind him, "Boo!" Van jumped out of his seat and fell on his ass.

"Hey!" he shouted after her when she laughed and ran out of the room. Smirking, he stood and rubbed his butt, "That hurt!" Hitomi popped around the corner, slightly disappointed he wasn't chasing her, but glad he wasn't angry either. So she sat with him on the couch and noted the Chinese food on the coffee table in front of them.

"Yum!" she exclaimed, "I'm starving!"

Van smiled at her enthusiasm, "Why are you so excited?"

She shrugged, "I don't know." She paused, "Where did you get that shampoo?"

He squirmed a little, "I have a few weird connections. You don't want to know about it. Do you like it?"

"Hm," she murmured, "It smells like you." He blushed cherry red and she laughed at him. "I love it, don't worry."

He narrowed his eyes, "You indirectly said you like how I smell. You're weird."

"Apparently, so are your connections," she retorted, "but let's eat! I'm hungry!" He smiled at her. This week was going to be more fun than he originally expected.

Later that night, Van and Hitomi were sitting in the living room again. They were both in pajamas. Hitomi wore a green and blue frog outfit. Van, on the other hand, usually wore boxers. Since he was in Hitomi's presence, though, he decided to put on a pair of plaid pajama bottoms. To Van's secret delight, it made Hitomi blush. It would have made him ecstatic to know how sexy she thought he was without his shirt on. Alas, Van hadn't an inkling of this, and his delighted mood did not upgrade to ecstatic.

They sat in silence for a long time, both comfortable despite Hitomi's blush. Actually, Hitomi found the warmth in her cheeks comforting. It was almost as if it was a physical reaction to Van's presence, and therefore was a sign that he was near and they were happy. The serene moment lasted longer than either of them realized, Van reading and Hitomi sitting next to him, silently relishing his presence. It was in this seemingly eternal moment that Hitomi found time to memorize Van's face and toned chest. She soon came to understand a few small details in each of his expressions, that gave away how he was really feeling. That morning, she would have thought he looked bored or in pain, but she knew now that he was really ready to bawl his eyes out. By the time her eyes moved from his arms to his back, she was unaware that his book was closed on the coffee table and his own eyes were examining her rapt expression.

Not wanting to break the moment, but noticing Hitomi's tired eyes, Van exaggeratedly leaned forward and pretended to put the book down. Hitomi's trance wasn't broken until he lifted his arms in a stretch and yawned.

"You okay?" Van asked softly. She nodded, her throat closing again. "Tired?" he whispered. She nodded, daring to meet his eyes. They were soft and gentle, but held a deep sense of amusement. She'd seen a similar look in Allen's eyes, except Van's gaze was different somehow. There was something else... something that made him more endearing... more than a best friend...

Van broke the gaze by standing up, "We should get to bed, then." Slightly disappointed, Hitomi followed Van up the stairs. It was adorable how he walked her all the way to her bed and tucked her in like a child, but at the same time it was a little embarrassing.

"Is this how you treat all your guests?" she asked incredulously, "I'm not a baby."

"On the contrary," Van smiled, "you are a baby." He fought off the urge to say "my baby." However, Hitomi caught his undertone and was instantly touched. He really did care for her, didn't he? "Besides," he went on, "You're different."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, how?"

He paused, "I have faith in you. I have faith that you won't hurt me." She blinked at his retreating form in the doorway.

"Hurt you?" she asked, but he ignored the question and closed the door. That left her time to think. Why didn't he trust others? Tiredness overcame her and she let her eyelids drop. Despite her closed lids, she could not sleep with the knowledge that Van was sleeping shirtless in the room next to hers. She had to have stayed up for half an hour, squirming under the image of Van laying down in a bed shirtless.

It was much later that night when she got up, confident that Van was asleep, and slipped out of her bedroom. She opened Van's door, hoping to God he wouldn't wake. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, he was awake even as she turned his door knob. When she approached his bed, he turned to look at her in the darkness.

"Nightmare?" he asked. Hitomi hesitated. Did she wake him up? Was he talking in his sleep?

"I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered.

"You didn't," he reassured her. He licked his lips and pulled back the blankets for her. When he saw her reluctance, he murmured, "Only if you want to." She shook her head and climbed into bed with Van.

She whispered, "Thank you." She was relieved to find the bed already warm when Van gave a single small shiver. "Cold?" she asked.

He shrugged and turned on his side so he was facing away from her, "A little. Just go to sleep." Hitomi bit her lip. How did she expect to fall asleep when her heart was pouding so loudly in her ears? How was Van supposed to sleep if he was cold? Neither of them could sleep and it was only suffocating her. So she squirmed over to the cold side of the bed was, where Van lay, and pressed her front against his back. At first, Van stiffened.

She chuckled, "Calm down. I'm not going to stab you in the back." Coupled with the last thing he'd said about faith in her, he caught the double meaning and smiled. He relaxed and took her hand that rested on his shoulder. This motion calmed Hitomi a little, and her body warmed Van's. As Hitomi fell asleep, she realized sluggishly he was only wearing boxers, so she giggled tiredly.

"What?" Van asked.

She giggled, "You don't wear pants..." Sleep claimed her immediately after her statement.


	12. Can't Sleep

Hitomi moaned. Her teddy was warm and she didn't like that wakefulness was pulling at her. She buried her face in her teddy bear and exhaled.

Van, on the other hand, was woken up by Hitomi's breath tickling his back. He lurched forward with a few involuntary chuckles and fell on the floor. Hitomi, surprised about the sudden and violent absent of warmth, opened her eyes and looked around, slightly bewildered.

"Fuck!" Van groaned from the floor.

"Oh!" Hitomi exclaimed and scrambled to the edge of the bed to peer over and smile apologetically, "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

He sighed and sat up, wincing, "You always get me to land on my ass." She stifled a giggle and watched him stand up. For the first time she could examine his legs. While they were manly, and a little hairy (as men's legs go), it was fascinating to watch the muscles as he walked and pushed himself up. Her vision was blocked eventually, so she decided to ogle his chest and arms instead. "Hungry?" he asked, his eyebrow raised. He was secretly feeling self-conscious. She was so obviously checking him out. It was flattering, yes, but it was also embarrassing.

She looked up to meet his gaze and smiled, "Yeah. Can you make eggs again? Those were simply scrumptious!" Van smiled, but then looked a little uncertain. Deciding not to say anything, he pulled on a pair of jeans and threw on a black button-up shirt. Feeling lazy, he didn't button the shirt (Hitomi's ogling at his bare muscle was also a factor in that decision).

Hitomi followed him sleepily down the stairs, forgetting about her rumpled hair. Van, upon noticing her ignorance, smiled and secretly enjoyed the sexy just-got-out-of-bed fashion. Her clothes were rumpled, too, and some point in the night she must have gotten too hot, because a few of the top buttons of her shirt were open, showing a little cleavage. Noticing this made Van smile wider. She was so beautiful and she didn't even know it.

"Eggs?" Van made sure he hadn't forgotten her order as they walked through the kitchen door. Hitomi nodded and he got crackin'. (Literally. Cracking eggs. Get it?) They ate dinner in silence, completely comfortable. That is, until Van asked Hitomi, "Will you sleep in my bed again tonight?"

Hitomi blushed, and shied away, "I might. I don't know. It depends on if I can sleep..." Van's openly hopeful expression turned bored again. Hitomi wondered what he was really feeling. She stared at his face for a while as he ate and slowly his expression turned to one of actual boredom, not the fake mask.

"What are we doing today?" Hitomi asked.

Van shrugged, "I don't think that far ahead. I just asked you to come over so I wouldn't be alone with Christmas and Thanksgiving so close since Merle is always going out." He checked the oven's clock and frowned slightly. It wasn't even eleven. He looked out the window and openly scowled. It was beginning to rain, so going out was out of the question.

"We can watch television," Hitomi suggested. Van agreed and they sat in the family room and turned on the television. Van was slightly embarrassed to find Food Network on. Hitomi examined his expression and tried to guess what he was feeling.

He cleared his throat, "What do you like to watch?"

"I don't usually like television," she admitted, "Maybe we'd do better with movies."

"Feel free to look through Merle's sappy romances. I haven't seen a movie since I Folken was around." He winced at the name, but continued smoothly, "I stick with Food Network and Merle sticks with Lifetime and sappy romances."

Hitomi narrowed her eyes, "You watch Food Network? Is that why your food is so good?"

He shrugged, "It could be. I don't know. I never actually cook unless you're here."

"Who is Folken?" she asked.

He winced and explained quietly, "My brother. Do you want to watch a movie or not?" She disliked his snippy tone, but ignored it. She had asked a personal question, so it wasn't completely irrational for him to snap. So the two watched a nameless romance movie about two people falling in love. Neither knew that the other loved each other, and stayed best friends for the rest of their lives, until they were old. In their reminiscing of their youth, they reveal they love each other and the two old friends get married. Of course there was more detail and definitely more conflict, involving another man and a psychopathic pyromaniac trying to kidnap the girl.

By the end of the movie (Van hadn't paid any attention to it at all and had enjoyed watching Hitomi's over-dramatic responses to the movie) Hitomi was horrified. To get her mind off it, he picked her up bridal style and brought her down in the chilly basement to practice sword fighting.

~That Night

Hitomi stared at Van's face as he read his novel. They were in pajamas again, ready for bed. She wondered what in the book made him so distressed. Eventually she reached over and pulled the book into a position where she could read the cover.

"Do you want me to read it out loud?" she heard Van ask. "I just started," he assured her, "It wouldn't be too bothersome to read the first chapter again." She smiled and nodded. Hesitantly, he opened his arms and she happily curled up against his side, listening to the beginning while still watching his face. She wanted to be able to read his face like he could read that book.

Despite Hitomi's struggle, Van's rumbling voice against her ear made her so relaxed, she passed out. He smiled gently down at her and put the book aside. He picked up her sleeping form and brought her to her room where he tucked her in. It severely disappointed him that she wouldn't sleep next to him tonight, but he closed the door and left her anyway.

Not minutes after he lay down in his own bed, he heard feet shuffling outside his door. He sat up, ready to help Hitomi (who in undoubtedly was), but when the door opened, she merely walked forward and lay down next to him.

"Silly," she murmured sleepily, "I can't sleep without you anymore..."

~~~Author

I'm such a loser. I should be punched for that terribly corny "cracking eggs" joke.


	13. Sir Sarcasm Strikes Captain Obvious!

CRASH!

Van woke with a start. The days had a strange pattern now. Wake up, breakfast, the odd activity (watching a movie, wrestling, walking, just talking... etc.), lunch, sword practice, dinner, reading aloud to Hitomi, and finally going to sleep. However, this morning was different. Something about it made Van's stomach flutter.

Oh, yes. It was Thanksgiving. _So,_ Van asked himself, _what was that loud crash? And where is my baby- I mean, Hitomi? _He stood and walked to the door. The silence following the crash was deafening and he didn't want to break it, but he had to see what that noise was. Silent as a ninja, he crept down the stairs and into the kitchen, where he assumed the noise came from.

The next thing he saw made him literally roll on the floor laughing. Hitomi, in all her sleepy glory, had managed to fall on her butt, covered in flour with pots and pans surrounding her. A plastic bowl landed perfectly on top of her head. Van's smirk grew to a full-out grin which turned into stifling chuckles. Eventually, he howled in laughter and fell on his knees, unable to breathe. While he fell on the floor, rolling around, a crease appeared between Hitomi's eyebrows.

"Are you okay, Van?" she asked, "It wasn't _that _funny." She waited patiently for his laughing fit to stop while cleaning up her mess. When he finally stopped moving and that strange gasping choke was no longer audible, Hitomi turned to his still form with a raised eyebrow. With a sigh, Van pushed his naked torso off the cold kitchen floor.

"I suppose you're right," he agreed, "It wasn't that funny after all." He turned to her and sat on the floor. "I was just so worried that something happened to you and it was such a relief to see you... and all the flour..." He smirked, "Forgive me?"

She sighed and answered sarcastically, "Oh, I guess so."

He grinned, "Thanks. So what were you doing? Were you _trying_ to make a mess in my kitchen that I hardly use?"

"No," she flashed him a grin, but then blushed and looked away, "I was trying to make your breakfast." After a pause, she added, "And cook a turkey for tonight since... Well, since we're all alone for Thanksgiving."

Van rolled his eyes, "Don't worry, love- Hitomi." He flushed when she turned to him with a surprised expression. He continued, trying to mumble an excuse, but Hitomi didn't hear any of it.

"Did you just call me...?" she trailed off, her voice barely a whisper.

Van grimaced, "Yeah. It was a slip of the tongue. Won't happen again-."

"No!" she exclaimed. He looked up at her, alarmed. It was her turn to flush. "What I mean is," she looked away, "I was just saying... I don't mind. I mean, my mom calls everyone weird names, so I'm used to it."

He looked at the ground, "Sorry."

"What for?" she asked, daring to look back at him. His face was buried in his hands, like he had done something terribly wrong or embarrassing.

"Nothing," came his muffled surprise. He sighed and stood up, dropping his hands to his side. "Just forget about dinner and everything, okay? I've got it covered." Then his eyes narrowed, "What are you _wearing_?"

She blinked and looked down at her attire, "These are my pajamas, Van. What's wrong with them?"

Van grimaced, "It's... revealing..." She wore only a white button-up shirt that wasn't buttoned all the way. It stopped mid-thigh and it made it uncomfortable for Van to walk away so he could fetch her some pants.

Hitomi, though, followed him, "You don't like it?"

He turned his flushed face away from her gaze, "What do you mean? I am a guy, Hitomi, and I am straight. I just thought since... since we don't have supervision, you'd be more... cautious with things like that."

"I don't get it," she huffed, frustrated, "I wore this last night and you didn't complain."

He blinked and stopped walking, "You wore that to bed?" She stopped as well and nodded. He tried to remember what she wore that night, but all he could recall was her warmth against his chest... the smell of his shampoo in her hair... He cleared his throat, "Well you're not sleeping anymore, so wouldn't it be appropriate for you to get dressed?"

"What about you?" she retorted, "Look at what you're wearing!" He suddenly became aware of how naked he really was. Usually he didn't leave his bedroom when he was so... exposed.

"I was in a hurry to make sure you were okay," he responded, starting to sound meek for the first time since he was a child, "Let's just get dressed." Taken by his tone, Hitomi could no longer argue.

Instead, she elbowed him with a grin, "I practically know how big you are."

He grimaced, "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry," she chided him. Then she put her hand to her forehead and sighed dramatically, "You're such a hunk, Van. I don't mind." She suddenly became aware of his distressed expression. "Van?" she asked, "Are you okay? I was just joking when I said-."

He nodded and interrupted, "I know, I know. I just..." He took a deep breath, "I just started to trust that you weren't trying to get me into bed and then suddenly you're all... all..." He searched for a way to express himself, and suddenly the word exploded from his mouth, "Sexy!"

She raised an eyebrow, "I'm sexy?"

He threw his hands in the air exasperatedly, "What is wrong with you? You tell me that you can tell how big my effing dick is and then you say that I'm a hunk. Then when I complimented you, much less graphically, you do the eyebrow thing and act incredulous! You're driving me crazy this morning! Of _course_ you're sexy! My God!" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The room was silent for a moment.

Hitomi couldn't stop grinning, "You really think I'm sexy?" Van nodded, his jaw set angrily. She bit her lip. "What else do you think about me?" He opened his eyes and looked at her, his eyes boring into hers, as if searching... searching for something... something that would help him understand this strange woman he loved.

"We're having rather awkward arguments this morning, aren't we?" he asked at a length.

Hitomi pouted, "Yes, but you didn't answer my question."

"Right now," he answered slowly, "I think you're the most effective tease in my life." Hitomi frowned. She didn't know how to take that. Van sighed, "Don't worry, Hitomi. I'm not trying to insult you. Just go upstairs and get dressed." She nodded and obeyed, going up the stairs. She closed Van's door behind her and put some pants on, feeling too lazy to change her shirt. She smiled, remembering running out of pajamas, too embarrassed to ask if she could use his washing machine, and rummaging through his clothes to find something to wear.

When she went downstairs, however, she found Van completely dressed, which confused her.

"Where did you...?" she trailed off.

He shrugged, obviously not in good humor, "There's this gigantic mansion, Hitomi, with a teenage boy living in it. As clean as it looks, my clothes are scattered everywhere." Hitomi's smile fell.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked.

He sighed, "No, nothing is wrong, Hitomi." His eyes closed. "How are you?"

Her smile returned, "I'm good, thank you. How are you?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her, "Sexually frustrated, but otherwise I'm feeling really bitchy." Hitomi raised and eyebrow and he rolled his eyes in response. "I don't lie, Hitomi," he growled.

"I don't either!" she replied defensively.

He narrowed his eyes, "I didn't say you did. Feeling guilty about something?"

"Your tone implied that I'm a liar!" she explained angrily, "Just because you're in a bad mood it doesn't give you the right to make me angry too!"

He closed his eyes for the millionth time that morning, "You're right." The submission caught Hitomi off guard and she blinked up at him. Was he really just giving in? "I need to calm down," he murmured to himself, even though Hitomi could hear him. After a moment, his expression went slack and he fell on the floor. The sudden jolt made his eyes flutter open. He caught himself just in time so his head didn't hit the floor.

Hitomi blinked, "You alright?"

He nodded and stood up, "Fine. So what do you usually do for Thanksgiving?"

She smiled, happy that he was trying to make conversation, "Usually I get up early to help my mom cook and then I eat pfeffernusse and watch the parade on television." Van nodded and sat her down. He handed her the remote for the television and left. Forgetting her arguments with Van, she turned on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was rather boring at first, so she let her mind wander. That was until a plate of pfeffernusse was placed in her lap.

Startled, she looked up at Van, who was smiling.

"Where did you get these?" she asked excitedly, already picking one up and eating it.

He sat down beside her and chuckled, "I told you before. I have weird connections." Hitomi beamed at him and popped a treat in her mouth. They watched the parade and Van realized how tired he really was. He sighed, feeling ready to hibernate for several months.

"Are you okay?" Hitomi asked, putting her hand to his forehead, "You don't look so hot."

He gave her a half-hearted smile, "I thought you said I was a hunk." She hesitantly smiled back.

"That's not what I mean," she nudged him, then her smile fell, "I'm serious. Do you need a doctor or something? A nap, maybe?"

"No," he answered, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, "Are you going to watch the parade or not?" She sighed and turned to the television. Not a minute after, she emitted a squeal about some giant Snoopy balloon. He closed his eyes and fell asleep listening to her incessant babble about how she always wished Snoopy was her dog when she was little...

_"Mom?" No answer. "Mom?" Silence. Van got out of bed, confused. Who was screaming for their mom at this time of night? He followed the noise into Hitomi's room, surprised to find himself as a child, sitting on the bed, wailing. "Folken! Where are you? Where did Mommy go?" _

"Van? Van! Are you okay? Wake up!" Van opened his eyes and looked around. Hitomi's creased brow portrayed her concern. "Are you okay?" she asked again. He realized he was holding her hand and squeezing rather tight. She didn't seem to mind, though. He couldn't force himself to let go, either, so he merely closed his eyes again and exhaled.

"Van," Hitomi continued, "You're hurting me." He opened his eyes again. Maybe she did mind. Slowly, one finger at a time, he relaxed his hand.

He smiled sheepishly and brought her knuckles to his lips, "Sorry. Won't happen again, love." Hitomi's concerned expression did not leave her face.

"Were you having a nightmare?" she asked. He sighed and let his hand drop, though not letting go of hers.

"Sort of," he answered, "Is the parade over?"

She nodded, "Its been over for a while."

His brow furrowed in confusion, "What were you doing then?"

She flushed, "N-nothing. Just... watching you sleep..."

He narrowed his eyes, "That's a little creepy. "

She shrugged and looked away, "I like to know how you're feeling is all." Slowly, his scrutinizing eyes softened.

"Hitomi?" he asked gently. She slowly turned to look at him. "Can I tell you something?" Her eyes widened as he leaned forward, his hand resting on her cheek. His scent washed over her and her senses reeled. She nodded dumbly. He smiled in response. "Close your eyes and wait." She obeyed, her heart beating frantically. What could he possibly want to tell her? "It isn't something I can... tell you verbally. So I'll show you." She waited a moment, the suspense building in her system. "I trust you, okay?" his voice came a little farther off than before; he wasn't sitting on the couch anymore. Then something soft grazed her cheek and her eyes popped open. And she gasped.

"You... you... you have wings."

Van rolled his eyes, "Thanks, Captain Obvious. I also have a penis. Do you have anything else to add?"


	14. Stay with Me

"Do I frighten you?" Silence greeted Van's question. They hadn't moved. Van stood, his wings stretched out behind him. Light streamed in through the window, illuminating him. Feathers fell like the snow was outside. Hitomi was in an awed trance. _No!_ her mind screamed, _You're beautiful, Van!_ But the words wouldn't pass her lips. The silence only hardened Van's gaze. "So that's how it is?" he asked quietly.

"Van," Hitomi finally whispered. Finally able to speak again, her trance broke. Tears built up in her eyes and she threw herself at Van's bare chest. Van, surprised by the attack, fell to the floor with an "oof!" Hitomi buried her face in his chest and she cried openly. "You're beautiful, Van," she sobbed, "Nothing will ever change that."

~Noon

The two ate in silence. It wasn't uncomfortable, or stiff. They just didn't have anything to say. So they didn't speak. Silence followed them wherever they went. Eventually, they headed down to the basement to practice. It was no longer silent, the room heavy with panting and the clacking of wood, but still, no one spoke. When Van deemed they had enough, he silently dropped his sword and took hers.

"Since I'm just telling you all my darkest and deepest secrets today," he said, "I'll show you my guymelef." He paused when he saw her face, "After we shower, of course. But I expect you to tell me at least one secret after all this." She nodded, not sure that she had any secrets to tell. Once again in silence, they parted ways to clean up.

When they found each other in the living room, Hitomi had to ask, "How do you have wings? Are you an angel or something?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Ever heard of Draconians?" This question seemed to take her aback. She remembered the tarot reading she did the other day... Hadn't it said something about the past? She was too wrapped up in Allen to pay attention completely...

"You're a Draconian?" she asked, awed once again.

He shrugged, "So it would seem. Ready?" She nodded and they went outside. Thankfully, Hitomi thought of something to say.

"Why does Dilandou hate you and Allen so much?" she asked curiously.

Van sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "I guess it's because we're the only two who stand a chance against him in a 'melef fight."

Hitomi tilted her head, "He's that good? Wait. _You're_ that good? I kick your ass all the time!"

He grinned, "Because I let you." She scowled at that. The man had a point. They continued to talk about her form and what she needed to improve on. It made them both uncomfortable to think about how this would end. Her training would probably stop when she left. So they eventually spoke about what she could do at home to practice and they made a vague schedule for her sessions. By the time they stopped, the conversation had somehow moved on to penguins.

"Wait here," Van interrupted. They were in the woods, and Hitomi was now standing and waiting while Van ran ahead. Just as she was beginning to get impatient, the birds scattered. She frowned at that and called out Van's name. Then a white guymelef with a cape approached her. Her throat closed in terror. Being a bystander was horrifying. The 'melef kneeled in front of her and opened up. Van climbed out with a huge smirk on his face. "You look pale," he commented. She merely stared. His gaze became worried as he climbed out. "Hitomi?" he asked, snapping her out of her trance.

She smiled vaguely, "Its really scary when you're on the ground. I almost forgot how much they frighten me."

Van's eyebrows pulled together, "Do you want to go back?" She nodded. He sighed and hopped back in the 'melef to put it away. Hitomi watched its retreating figure and shivered. Her dad had been a 'melef champion... Suddenly, Van was by her side again. "Let's go." She nodded and followed, grabbing his arm. She still felt small and insignificant compared to that 'melef.

Van didn't like how pale she was, but secretly enjoyed how she clung to him. At the same time, her behavior made him worry.

"How did Dilandou get you into one if you were so scared of them?" he asked as the mansion came into view.

Her grip relaxed, "It wasn't moving. It was sitting. Waiting. I don't know; he held my hand when I shuddered." That made Van want to punch the man in the face. How dare he touch Hitomi? However, he had to remind himself that Dilandou was Hitomi's friend. Well, sort of. Thinking about it, he wasn't sure how Hitomi felt about Dilandou.

"That 'melef is called Escaflowne," he informed her, "Its sort of a family heirloom. It wouldn't be able to hurt you even if Dilandou was in it."

Hitomi smirked, "No; he loves me too much."

Van grimaced, "I certainly hope he doesn't love you. If he asks you out, scream 'bloody murder' and run away."

She giggled, "Don't worry, Van. He uses me to get to you and Allen. He can't hurt me or else he'll love my friendship."

"Unless he pushes your sympathy button and you forgive him," Van reminded her, "You almost forgave Allen, and he's nice compared to Dilandou."

She sighed, "I guess you're right. Dilly is so dramatic, isn't he?"

Van chuckled, "You have no idea." He opened the door to his mansion and they went inside. "He hates that nickname by the way. Every time I called him that in the tournament he went crazy." He closed the door behind them, "And you probably wouldn't notice because he's so pale, but I gave him a nice scar on his right cheek."

"Van!" Hitomi gasped, "Hurting someone is nothing to be proud of!"

Van sighed, "I know. It just... Never mind." They both sat on the couch and Van pulled the plate of pfeffernusse closer, "If I recall correctly, you have to tell me a secret."

Her brow creased, "Frankly, I don't think I have any secrets." He looked disappointed and she immediately regretted the truth. "Give me a minute to think, okay?" she asked, desperately trying to think of a secret. Finally, after a lot of digging around in her brain, she found one. However, she couldn't just say, "I love you, Van. That's my secret." Instead, she said, "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret anymore."

"Its bad to keep things bottled up," Van chided her, "Just tell me."

She scowled, "What if I don't want to tell you the only secret I ever had?"

He narrowed his eyes, "Tell me." Her face turned an awfully pretty shade of red. It made Van even more curious as to what her secret was. "Please?" he asked gently, "I won't make fun of you or reject you in any way." She glanced at him doubtfully. His eyes pleaded her too. "I trust you, remember? I thought you said you trusted me."

She remembered the first day she came here, when she was ready to scream and run away because she discovered was alone with Van for an entire week. His words echoed in her head, "Don't you trust me?"

She sighed, "Its really really personal. I'm afraid things will never be the same if I tell you." His finger brushed her cheek.

"Nothing will change," he whispered, "And if it does, it'll be for the better. I promise." She took a deep breath and found he was very close. Maybe he was wrong.

"You have no idea what will happen if I tell," she whispered, "You can't promise that."

His eyes turned playful, "What if I told you I'm psychic?"

"What if I told you I'm pregnant?" she retorted. His eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped. She buried her face in her hands and shook her head, "That's not my secret, Van." He blinked a few times. Not her secret. Not. Her. Secret.

He exhaled, "You scared me!"

She sighed, "See what I mean? You have no idea. Secrets are secrets for a reason."

He inched closer, "And the reason you have this secret is because you're a coward."

"Am not!" she raised her chin defiantly, "I'm not afraid to tell you!"

"Oh?" he murmured, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. The syllable seemed to take away her defiance. "Tell me, then, if you aren't afraid."

She flushed and stared down at her fidgeting hands, "Well... Uh... I..." Van gently lifted her chin. Their eyes locked and she felt the words forming on her lips. The phone rang and made her jump.

"Let it ring," he murmured, "Tell me." He leaned uncomfortably close, and her breath hitched.

"Van," she whispered, "I-."

_"Leave a message. Beep. Van, Balgus. I need-." _

Van picked up the phone, "I'm busy, make it quick." Their gaze didn't break once while his conversation continued. "No. I don't care. I won't do it, Balgus..." His eyes widened and he stood, then walked out of the room. Curious, Hitomi followed and listened through the door. "... you found him? What do you mean? I don't understand. Folken has been missing since-." Silence followed. "No, I don't care. An inconvenience, yes. I still have the bulk of the fortune. Leave me alone unless something important happens." She jumped when the door opened.

He raised an eyebrow, "Hear something interesting?"

She flushed, "Folken's back?"

"So it seems," Van sighed, "and he wants some of our parent's money. Of course he's entitled to it, but... Balgus is just worried. I don't care what Folken's conditions are."

"Conditions?" she asked.

He ran a hand through his hair, "He sent Balgus a letter. To reappear, he wants some things. I don't care what he wants, though. I don't care if he comes back either. He left me when I was little without any guidance. As far as I'm concerned, Balgus never informed me of the letter." The coldness in his voice made Hitomi wince.

"He really hurt you, didn't he?" she murmured, resting her hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes, trying to carve the sensation into his brain.

"What were you saying before we were interrupted?" he asked.

She bit her lip, "I don't have the courage to say it now."

He chuckled and stroked her hair, "Don't worry, love. I knew what you were going to say." With that, he leaned forward and their lips met. Before Hitomi got over her shock, Van pulled back and smiled, "Ready for dinner?"

~Dinner

Van sat at the head of the table, and Hitomi sat to his right. The table in the dining room was long, and covered in all sorts of food. Of course there was turkey, but there was also twice baked potatoes and yams and the list went on.

"How are just the two of us supposed to eat this?" she murmured.

Van shrugged, "We don't have to. I have plenty of ways to dispose of what we don't eat."

"Who made this anyway?" she asked incredulously, "We were together all day!"

"Believe it or not," he answered, "I have servants. I pay them not to be seen when you're around."

She sighed, "Well, let's get on with this. Say something you're thankful for." He gave her a weird look, but realized that was a tradition a lot of people had. Hence the name "_Thanks_giving."

He exhaled thoughtfully, "I'm thankful for... this time with you." He raised his wine glass and Hitomi hesitantly did the same.

"I'm thankful for all my family and friends I can't see today," Hitomi said cheerfully. Van frowned, realizing how selfish he'd been, keeping her away from her family. During a holiday, no less! They began their meal quietly.

"Hitomi?" Van asked, "Do you want to see your family today?"

She blinked at him, "It'd be nice, but... I'm afraid it would break the spell."

He tilted his head, "Spell? I'm not a wizard, Hitomi."

She rolled her eyes, "That's not what I meant. I'm just saying... for now, I'm content with you."

"I want you to be happy, though," he insisted, "If you're anything less than ecstatic, I'm not satisfied."

She laughed, "I am ecstatic, Van. Calm down. Let's just eat, okay?" He smiled and they ate.

~That Night

"Hitomi?" Van asked, putting his book aside. She looked up at him sleepily. "You probably don't want to sleep with me now, do you?"

Hitomi looked at him confusedly, "Of course I still want to sleep with you." He smiled softly and he brought her up to his room. While Hitomi was out like a light, Van couldn't sleep at all. His focus was on Hitomi's moonlit face. Her breath was even and deep, her hair rustling in front of her face. "Hitomi," he murmured, "Stay with me." With that, he pulled her close and inhaled the scent of his shampoo in her hair.


	15. Just Take It

Hitomi opened her eyes and yawned. She was confused at first – where was Van? Slowly, she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Her beloved was nowhere to be found. She stumbled out of bed and into the hall, where she saw Van, already dressed and awake, looking up at a tall man with blue hair. Hitomi recognized Folken from the photo and just as she was about to shy away and go back into Van's room, Folken's eyes met hers and she froze.

"Who is this?" Folken asked quietly. Van turned his head and the look on his face made Hitomi want to die. He was emotionless. His eyes were absolutely and completely dead.

"She's none of your concern," Van finally answered, looking up at his brother again. "In any case, what are your conditions?"

Folken's amused eyes lingered on Hitomi. "I want her and a fifth of your fortune." It wasn't hesitant. He was direct, and didn't fluff it up. Folken wanted Hitomi and money, and this made Van's back straighten. Hitomi was aghast at the idea, and had to wonder what his conditions were _for_.

"No," Van replied, his voice smooth and cold. "She's not an option."

Folken raised an eyebrow. "You said 'anything.'"

Van crossed his arms. "Anything but her. You can't – can't just _own_ someone, Folken. Even if you could, she's not mine to give." Hitomi wanted so badly to scram (A/N: yes, scram, not scream), but her feet were glued to the floor and her curiosity was killing her. What were they talking about? Obviously her, but why? Her eyes couldn't leave the older man and his likewise wouldn't leave her.

Folken finally looked at his younger brother. "So she's off limits. Then I want the guymelef, Escaflowne." At this, Van audibly growled. Hitomi winced, but Folken didn't budge. He met his younger brother's gaze and there was a long silence. "A duel, then?" Folken suggested, "If you win, I'll take the money and leave. If I win, I get the 'melef, the girl, and the fifth of the fortune. That's my last offer. You know what'll happen if we don't compromise, right?"

Van froze. On one hand, he had everything that consisted of his delicate life: the girl of his dreams, his 'melef, his money (which he didn't particularly care for, but it was part of what made him happy). On the other hand was his hatred for Folken and the consequences of letting this challenge go. Did Van really think he could beat Folken in a fight? Was it worth the risk? Rashly, Van opened his mouth to agree, but Hitomi's voice stopped him.

"What?" she screeched, stomping toward them. "Van can't just give me away like some toy he lost interest in when he was five!" She stopped in front of Folken and glared up at him. "I don't know who you think you are, but I am not a prize to be won over a stupid duel! My opinion matters in this! _And_, Van doesn't have to answer to you! He's just as-."

"Hitomi," Van interrupted, grabbing her shoulder. She turned her furious gaze upon him, and found she couldn't be angry with him. After all, he was kind of on her side. She hoped so at least. "Thank you," he whispered, smiling gently. His soulless eyes gained a little vigor and she was glad she could do that much for him. Van turned to Folken. "She's right. She can't be part of the bet. If I win, you leave and never come back. I'll even give you half of the fortune."

Folken's eyes twinkled in amusement. "And if I win?"

Van glared at him. "If you win, you get the entire fortune, and Escaflowne."

Folken, still looking amused, shook his head. "That's not enough. I'll be lonely, you know. Maybe my little brother could come along with me…?" He trailed off, smirking. Van's breath was heavy. He would essentially be selling himself to his brother, and he knew that. Van licked his lips and glanced at Hitomi. What could he do…?

"I can't go with you," Van said at last, "Hitomi will miss me and I hate you." His eyes landed on his brother again. "I'm not going."

Folken sighed, his amusement gone. "I suppose that means I'm taking the house, the fortune, and everything you own – except for the 'melef. Is that really what you want? Your contacts will be gone and you'll be dirt poor." He leaned forward a little. This next part almost seemed like a threat. "You'll be worthless and scavenging for food."

Van stepped backward, away from his brother. "Take the fucking house, then. Take everything I own. Take my money. Just take it, Folken." While he said this, his eyes burned with some sort of passion – fury or desperation, no one was really sure what it was. By the time he said his brother's name, the light was gone and he looked resigned and drawn. Van turned away and held out his hand for Hitomi to take. Hesitantly, she took it and they walked out of Van's – no, Folken's house. Hitomi grabbed her things before they left, but Van didn't even bother packing his clothes. He just left.

Much to Hitomi's disappointment, Van was wearing the mask again. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, she could read through it, and suddenly she wanted to comfort him. It hurt to see Van like that, and she really wished he would cheer up. She knew, though, that if she tried to cheer him up, he'd push her away, and that was the last thing he needed.

Since Folken had taken all of Van's things, Van had left his cell phone and the car, and they were walking. It was a nice day, despite the cold, but Van didn't wear anything. Finally, Hitomi couldn't take the silence. They were half-way to her house and she was getting hungry. Her legs were burning from the exercise.

"Van?" she asked gently, tugging at his sleeve.

"What is it, Hitomi?" he asked coldly. She winced at his tone.

Eyes soft, she dropped her hand and looked at her feet. "I love you." Van stopped walking, and Hitomi did the same. It would have looked weird to a passerby: two teenagers standing in the middle of the road, one looking at the other in shock and the other in pity. Finally, Van blinked away his shock and he realized he'd been mean to Hitomi, although unintentionally. He held out his hand for her to take, and she did so hesitantly.

"I love you, too, Hitomi," Van whispered, "I have faith that you won't hurt me." Hitomi was reminded of the first night she stayed at Van's place and he'd told her that same thing. That's when Van saw the car – and Hitomi didn't.


	16. Unexpected Question

He didn't know what to do with himself. When it had happened, he had tried to keep Hitomi out of danger. She wasn't in critical condition, the doctors said, but there had been so much _blood_. How could Hitomi possibly be alright? At the same time, he couldn't imagine her dying or anything extreme. He remembered seeing the car, and then reaching out for Hitomi... The screeching of tires... A strange jolt... He remembered his shoulder popping out of its socket and kneeling in front of Hitomi. She was trying to calm him down, but she had been crying and the driver was hyperventilating and apologizing profusely. Hitomi's leg had been pretty banged up, and she had a few cuts on her face and bruises on her arms, but was otherwise fine. Van had gotten away nearly unscathed except for his shoulder. It definitely hadn't been severe. Even the damage to the car was minimal - some blood on the bumper and tire and perhaps some scratches and a small dent.

Still, Van was worried. He paced and paced in the waiting room until a nurse and five other people who were waiting asked him to stop. Even then, he didn't stop until a doctor came out.

"Van de Fanel?" he asked, approaching Van. Van's head snapped up and he stared at the doctor. "Hitomi is fine. Her leg is broken, but she's perfectly healthy otherwise." Van visibly relaxed, and the doctor went on, "You can go see her now, if you wish." Van followed the doctor to Hitomi's room and the honey-haired girl smiled up at them both. Whether it was from exauhstion from the events or the lighting in the room, she looked pale.

Van sat on the chair next to the bed and the doctor went on to say that Hitomi's mom and brother were on their way to see her. "Are you okay?" Van asked when the doctor left.

She smiled shakily. "Yeah, I'm fine, Van. Just a little... shaken up."

He chuckled and took her hand hesitantly. "Me too." They relished in each other's company for a long moment, and Van enjoyed it thoroughly. After everything that happened today, losing his house, his fortune, and almost his girlfriend... Small things were what kept him sane now.

"Why does all your stuff belong to Folken now?" Hitomi asked timidly. Van couldn't bring himself to lie or ignore her question, or even be cold to her. It was an unpleasant thing to think about, but didn't she deserve to know? Did she? He licked his lips and squeezed her hand. What was he going to tell her? The truth, but how to say it...?

He sighed. "Technically, everything I inherited and bought with my parents' money is Folken's because everything in my parents' will was for him. When he disappeared, it automatically came to me. Now that he's back, it's his again. It's more complicated than that, but that's the simple version." He ran a hand through his hair. "Essentially, I'm homeless now, and, like he said, dirt poor."

She frowned. "Won't Folken let you live with him?" Van gulped. He really didn't want to tell Hitomi everything, but... how could he refuse her after that terrifying experience? Besides, he really wasn't in the right state of mind to argue or ensue with their usual banter.

"He would," he admitted sourly, "but I hate him." He knew this answer wouldn't suffice, and when he saw Hitomi's look, he knew he'd have to explain why he hated his brother. "He went missing when my parents died. He _left me alone_." He searched Hitomi's eyes for comfort, and recieved almost exactly what he needed. Almost. If only she could reach out and hug him... He went on, struggling a little to keep his voice even, "Like I've said twice already. I have faith that you won't hurt me." The underlying meaning hung in the air: I trust you won't abandon me like he did.

A door opened and Hitomi's mother burst in, crying and laughing and generally wigging out. Mamouru was behind her but gave Hitomi some air. Instead, he stood by Van and gave him a look that would have made a normal person wish they had died in the accident.

"My sister was in danger while she was with you," Mamouru stated plainly, unheard by Hitomi or her mother over the sound of the older woman.

Van smiled tiredly up at him. "Yes, she was. It was entirely my fault. Is there anything else you'd like to add to make me feel like shit," at the harsh word, the room fell silent, "today? Honestly, it'll be a relief to have a _real_ reason to punch someone in the face."

Mamouru was a bit taken aback, but Hitomi interrupted, "Mamouru, leave him alone. He's had a rough day. Stop giving him grief. It was my own stupid fault I was hurt anyway. If anything, Van saved me from getting a concussion." Mamouru sighed, unable to deny his sister's request. He also found himself believing that Van had had a rough day. The man had been smiling when he threatened Mamouru, but he'd never outright threatened anyone before, unless they had done something to Hitomi.

"Mom, I'm going to have to shock you some more," Hitomi sighed. Ms. Kanzaki chuckled breathlessly.

"That will be very difficult," her mother assured her.

Hitomi's eyes softened. "Can Van move in with us?"


	17. Solution

Van was shocked she even asked. His jaw was on the floor. Ms. Kanzaki fainted, and Mamouru caught her. Van, after recovering from his shock, offered his chair, and Mamouru placed his unconscious parental unit in the chair. Van sat on the bed and took Hitomi's hand.

"Did you hurt your head?" he asked, "You didn't need to freak her out like that. Why did you even ask her?"

Hitomi's brow furrowed. "But Van - you're homeless! You just said so not even five minutes before my mom walked through the door! I can't just let you live out _on the street_. Merle, too! Where will she go?" While Hitomi continued to bombard him with guilt-provoking and unanswerable questions, Van buried his face in his hands. What was he going to do? He couldn't _move in_ with his girlfriend! They just started dating! And what were they going to do about Merle? Surely Folken would take her in. Would she be difficult about it?

Van silenced Hitomi by looking up at her with his broken gaze. After a minute of silence, he whispered, "I lost my home and my shelter and _everything I own_ today, Hitomi. Can't I relish in the fact I didn't lose my one and _only_ love in the same day? For just a moment? Please?" Her eyes softened and she gently stroked his hair.

"Okay," she murmured, "Alright. We can talk later."

"Wait," Mamouru interrupted what would have been a comforting silence. "What happened?"

Van sighed and answered, "To be brief, my brother came back and took everything away from me. The only thing I own is the 'melef, and I left it there." He ran a hand through his hair and was suddenly aware of and glad that Hitomi's hand was so warm. He put it to his cheek and closed his eyes, cherishing the life the warmth symbolized. He turned it over and felt the palm of her hand against his cheek. It felt like he'd known her forever, and yet at the same time he realized how short their time together had been. A month or two, maybe? How much of that time had he wasted being cold or rejecting her? He wanted nothing more than to be close to her and it was an overwhelming desire to crush her to his chest and weep in her short, honey-colored hair.

Mamouru glanced between the two, suddenly aware that the guy he hated and his sister were now dating, and she'd just spent the entire week at Van's house. He would have been angry, except he just did the same thing with Merle. If he had known they were without parental supervision, he would have been upset. As it was, he didn't know about it. Yet.

"Where were your parents through all of this?" Mamouru asked, suddenly wondering how Van's brother could just do that.

Van inhaled deeply and opened his eyes before pulling his and Hitomi's hands away from his face. "I don't know." Hitomi pat his back reassuringly and glared at Mamouru. While she hated that Van had to be asked again about something painful, she really couldn't blame Mamouru. He didn't know that it was a painful subject for Van. "How was your vacation?" Van asked tiredly, looking up at Hitomi's younger brother.

He hesitantly responded, "It was fine. Merle was fun to have around and my mom is a wonderful cook."

Hitomi took the incentive and asked, "Did she make that delicious dish that I can never remember the name of?"

"Yeah, we saved some for you," Mamouru assured her, "You're talking about the orange stuff, right?"

Hitomi nodded with a wide smile. Van watched their interactions, taking pleasure in the mundane things. If they weren't in a hospital, he would have felt like everything that happened recently was a bad dream, and he'd go back to school and tease Hitomi and be bothered by Allen and Dilandou. But they were in a hospital, and he would have nowhere to go when the nurses would shoo him out of Hitomi's room for the night.

A while after Ms. Kanzaki woke again, the question was raised. She seemed a little dazed by it, but took it in stride this time. "Why in the world would he need to stay with us?" she asked when she could finally formulate a sentence.

"I really don't know why Hitomi is even asking," Van dismissed Hitomi's offer, "Really, Ms. Kanzaki, just ignore her. She must have hit her head and didn't tell anyone." At this comment, Van and Hitomi glared at each other. It was all in good fun, though. They really weren't angry with each other. Van knew she was just looking out for him, but Hitomi didn't understand why he was rejecting her kindness.

Ms. Kanzaki crossed her arms. "Mr. Fanel. I expect you to tell me exactly why my daughter would believe you need to move in with us."

"It's nothing, ma'am," Van reassured her, covering Hitomi's mouth as he said so. He was interrupted though, when the door burst open and Merle came in looking wild-eyed.

"Mr. Van!" she exclaimed, suddenly at Van's side and clutching his arm. She said the following in one breath: "It's awful! Just awful! I heard Hitomi was in an accident and I went to go see if you were okay and no one was in the mansion and all the kittens were gone and Folken showed up out of nowhere and it was just so awful! He told me everything and I don't know what we'll do! He says he'll let us stay but I know it isn't an option for you and I might say but I really don't know! I don't want to feel like I'm betraying you and-."

Van put his finger to her lips calmly. She was silenced immediately, and her frightened wide eyes stared up at him. "You can stay with Folken," he whispered, stroking her hair to calm her. "I don't mind. You won't betray me. Just stay my friend, okay?" Tears welled up in her eyes.

"But what will _you_ do, Mr. Van?" she whispered. "All your money-."

"Merle," Van said in a low warning tone.

She continued anyway, in hysteria, "The entire mansion!"

"Merle," Van warned again, his voice raising in volume.

"It's just gone!" she finsihed in exclamation, "What are you going to do?" Van sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I don't know, Merle. Just calm down." He rubbed her back and let his other hand find Hitomi's on the bed. "Worry about yourself first. Are you sure Folken will let you stay with him?" She nodded, her eyes still wide and watery. His eyes softened and he smiled half-heartedly. "Then don't worry. He's a good person." The last sentence burned his mouth, and he cringed at the thought. He hated admitting it was true, but if it got Merle to calm down at all...

Merle wiped tears from her eyes. "Okay, Mr. Van. I'll - I'll try not to worry." She rubbed her arms. "Mr. Folken still has the 'melef."

Van kept rubbing her back. "I know. I'll get it when I need it, okay?" She nodded and leaned against him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and realized the rest of the room was dead silent. He looked up at the Kanzaki family to see each one staring at them. Ms. Kanzaki looked confused and Mamouru shocked. Hitomi... Van's eyes lingered on her the longest. She wasn't watching in pity, but... her eyes pleaded for him to let her help. Van licked his lips and looked down at Merle. "If I find a place to stay, will you stop worrying?" Hitomi knew he was asking more than just Merle, who sniffed and nodded yes. Van looked up at Hitomi, and she nodded as well. Then he looked at Ms. Kanzaki.

"Ms. Kanzaki," he began, "It was not my intention for it to come to this, but I agree with Hitomi now. If I explain my situation, will you allow me to stay with you and your family for a while?"

Ms. Kanzaki eyed the way he held her daughter's hand. "Explain it to me first."

-The First Day of School After Break

Van followed behind Hitomi, holding her books and his own. His expression was a little glazed, but he kept up with Hitomi, who was on crutches. Most people who didn't know them gave them weird looks or whispered about Hitomi's broken leg, but otherwise they weren't bothered by other students. Van helped Hitomi all day, and even went as far to change his classes so he could sit next to her and make sure she was okay. It was part of the deal he'd made with Ms. Kanzaki.

Simply put, he could stay as long as he'd be Hitomi's slave and made dinner and breakfast for everyone. He had promised he'd be out of their hair after the 'melef season, which was the summertime, but the Kanzaki family was willing to keep him longer if he kept cooking as well as he did. As it was, Hitomi wasn't unreasonable in her requests and treated him generally like usual. Van was particularly careful around her, but otherwise nothing had changed. Van slept in the guest room, which was right between Mamouru's and Ms. Kanzaki's.

It was odd to get used to their rules at first. He had lived with just himself and Merle for such a long time, he forgot what it was like to be reminded to put the toilet seat down and berated for locking his door or bringing plates into his room. Hitomi was helpful in getting him to get into the habit of putting things away. Van was also not used to not having servants to pick up after him. It was surprising to find out that he was actually a very neat person, and Hitomi assumed he orginally did it to be nice to the maids who picked up after him. She wondered what Van's mother was like, and how his family had to have influenced him to be so... _nice_.

Van also had to get used to living with other people in general. Everyone had to balance out schedules and car rides (Folken had given Van his truck back clean, and as much as Van hated accepting anything from his brother, he found he couldn't deny himself necessities - besides, he missed the rumble of his truck).

One of the most annoying things Van found was that he had to ask for permission. God, did he hate that. He had to ask about everything: can Merle come over, I'm going out tonight is that okay, Millerna's having a party can I go... Not that Van went out much. He generally only went on dates with Hitomi, but if he did go out without Hitomi it was to go drink with Gaddes, and Ms. Kanzaki only allowed sober people into her home. Van found this out the hard way one night and had to sleep it off in his truck.

Anyway, the first day back to school was annoying. Everyone kept asking questions and were really careful not to hurt Hitomi. Dilandou was missing, and only Hitomi seemed to notice, but she didn't want to bring it to Van's attention, lest something awful come of it. In fact, Dilandou was missing for an entire month, and the entire time only Hitomi seemed to notice.

When Hitomi's cast was taken off, around the same time Dilly reappeared, Van resumed their sparring in the front yard. Everything was as it should be. Everyone was happy. Winter melted into spring. Spring bloomed into summer. And then the 'melef season started.


	18. Apology

A/N: In case anyone might have noticed, I don't have a beta. I really don't think its necessary, but it has been brought to my attention by someone whose opinion I value. Where could I get a beta?

The 'melef season started just after the last day of school. This was no coincidence, of course. Some of the best 'melef champions were still in school, so it was purposely set up so that the tournaments and championships would be during the summer, when school was out. Van passed his classes with B's and a few C's, merely because he didn't pay attention (he was always talking to Hitomi). Hitomi was average. She got a few A's, but mainly B's. To no one's great surprise, Dilly passed chemistry with flying colors, although he had started a few fires while laughing like a maniac. Hitomi was suddenly glad she didn't have chemistry with him.

School was out, though, and the 'melef season was starting in a week. Van hadn't stopped practicing, even during the winter. He could recall a few times during the cold season when Ms. Kanzaki scolded him for waving "that stick" around in her living room. Van had replied with, "I'm sorry, but I have to practice." He would have been happy to do it in his room, but he didn't have enough room. Maybe if he moved the bed he could, but Mamouru had been particularly sour about helping him and Van didn't want to deal with the kid's attitude. He didn't have his own wooden practice swords anymore, so Hitomi bought cheap plastic ones. It was better than nothing, but Van didn't like using them.

However, Van was now sparring outside with Hitomi. It was the first day of summer, and they were breathless, circling each other with their "practice swords" in hand. Van didn't like how light the swords were. It didn't put a realistic strain on his arm like the wooden ones did, but he settled for what he could get. Merle was sitting on Hitomi's front step, cheering them both on.

The front door opened and Ms. Kanzaki called out, "Come in, kids. Lunch is ready!" Hitomi warily narrowed her eyes at Van, who only did the same. He rushed forward, only for Hitomi to block his strike. He spun around and lunged again, knocking the sword out of her hands.

Hitomi pouted. "Aw, you ruined it, Van! I actually blocked you that time!"

He grinned and threw his sword down by hers. "Yes, you did wonderful, Hitomi."

"Lunch is going to get cold!" Merle shouted at them before skittering inside. Hitomi headed in first, and Van followed. He eyed her butt as she walked in, but before his mind could get wild, he turned away and blushed. He'd never wanted someone like that before, and it was a new experience. There were emotions involved this time, and he did _not_ want to dishonor Hitomi in any way because of that. The other girls had been pretty, yes, but not worth his time. Now there was Hitomi... He wondered idly if he'd be a virgin forever, because while Hitomi was very beautiful, he couldn't imagine _doing_ anything with her. Unless they were married. That would be completely different. His already present blush deepened. Married to Hitomi... What a thought. At the same time, he had to tell himself they needed to wait. They were young and rash. He couldn't make such decisions at this point in time.

"Van, are you alright?" Hitomi asked concernedly, "You're really red."

Van smiled awkwardly, trying to relieve her worries. "I'm fine, Hitomi. What's for lunch?" Ms. Kanzaki placed a big plate overflowing with sandwiches on the table. Van sat beside his girlfriend - he blushed even redder when the term went through his mind - and took a sandwich. Hitomi was already on her third one. She was always hungry after she sparred with Van.

"So what are your plans for today, kids?" Ms. Kanzaki asked, sitting with them at the table. Van and Hitomi exchanged a glance and Merle kept eating her sandwiches.

Van shrugged and answered slowly, "I don't have any, but I need to keep practicing. 'Melef season is approaching and I _must_ win this year's tournament."

"Oo," Ms. Kanzaki said, leaning forward a little. "A tournament. It sounds exciting."

Van gave her a grave look. "It's very dangerous, ma'am."

Ms. Kanzaki's brow creased. "Then maybe I should let you join, young man."

Van's eyes hardened into something severe, but he didn't look at Ms. Kanzaki. He looked just to her right, at the cabinet behind her so she wouldn't be completely subject to his hard glare. "I have to win, or I might as well stay here until I graduate. I've stayed here long enough and I really must get out of your hair." When Hitomi heard this, her head swiveled around to look at him. She understood what he was saying, but it sounded like he was lying. No, that wasn't it. He was telling the truth, but it sounded like... he was missing something in his reason for entering the tournament. "I _have_ to win," he muttered to himself looking at the sandwich in his hands.

"Maybe you should have a more competent sparring partner," Hitomi murmured, afraid that she wasn't good enough. She was still a beginner in a lot of ways, and she felt that if she wasn't a challenge for him to beat, then she wasn't an adequate sparring partner.

Van's eyes widened as he looked at Hitomi. "More competent?" he repeated, a little bewildered. "Why would I want someone more competent? You're fine." Their eyes met and he read the insecurity in her face. His gaze softened and he smiled gently. "Trust me, Hitomi. You're the best partner I could have." The double meaning was heavy between them, but went past Merle. Ms. Kanzaki caught onto it, but didn't comment.

After a long moment of silence, Van stretched and stood up. "Anyway, what are you doing today, girls? Are you going out with Allen or Millerna or..." his mouth twisted as if he hated saying the name, "Dilly?"

Hitomi shrugged. "I didn't have any plans for today. What about you, Merle?"

Merle meowed and rubbed her ear. "No plans." She dropped her hand and stared at it. "Mr. Van?" Her voice was meek, and it worried everyone in the room. What did Merle have to say? Why would she sound so timid about saying it?

"What is it, Merle?" Van asked, sitting down again to make her feel more comfortable.

She bit her lip and stared at her hands a moment longer before whispering, "Folken asked to see you." Van's concerned expression turned blank, and he removed his hard stare from the top of Merle's head and to the cabinet again. He considered everything he could reply. 'Who is Folken?' was his default option. Then he could just ask why and drag it out. Or he could just change the subject like she hadn't told him about it. After a moment of consideration, he settled on something to say.

"What does he want?" he asked quietly, trying to keep the harshness out of his tone, although it turned monotone in his effort.

Merle whispered even quieter, "He didn't say."

Van sighed and smiled softly at his adopted sister. "Okay, Merle. Thank you for telling me." He turned to look at Hitomi, and she took his hand with a gentle expression on her face. The gesture screamed: _I'm here! I'm not leaving you!_ Ms. Kanzaki, aware that she was missing part of the story, let the scene go and brought their attention to the sandwiches again. The conversation took a normal turn. Merle was going on about cats and Ms. Kanzaki was laughing at their antics while Hitomi humored Merle. Van just sat back and watched with a contented smile.

His thoughts began to wander. This was all he could ever wish for. He almost had a family again. There was only one thing wrong and he needed to make it right...

~Folken's Mansion

"I'm glad you came to see me, Van," Folken commented lightly. The two brothers were in the dining room (Van never used it when he lived there), Folken sitting with a wine glass in his hand and Van standing at the opposite side of the table, having refused to sit when it was previously offered.

"Get to the point, Folken," Van spat his brother's name harshly. The older of the two didn't seem to notice. The amusement in his eyes never died, and it annoyed Van to no end.

Folken took a sip of his wine and placed it on the table. "Van," he said slowly, "I have a proposition for you. I know the tournament is coming up. I know you're entering." His eyes flashed and for a moment, their gazes met. Folken looked down at his glass wine again and then smiled up at Van. "I have one of your greatest rivals under my thumb. It would benefit you if he didn't even enter the tournament, correct?"

Van crossed his arms and continued glaring at his older brother. "I don't care who you can control. I'm winning the tournament, no matter who enters."

Folken chuckled and watched Van with more amusement glinting in his eyes. "But wouldn't it be so much easier if Dilandou wasn't out to kill you?" Van's back straightened up at the name and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Van hated how Folken kept the room dark. Van hadn't used the dining room and therefore he never had the light on. Folken, on the other hand, actually used the room but kept it dark for no logical reason. Maybe he wanted to set some sort of atmosphere, but Van wasn't paying that much attention.

"Are you threatening to sic Dilandou on me at the tournament?" Van asked incredulously.

Folken raised both his eyebrows, his eyes still alight in amusement. "I believe Dilandou would say something like: It's not a threat; its a promise. However, I like you, Van."

Van rolled his eyes. "How touching, my brother _likes_ me." There was a long silence, where Van stood, glaring angrily at Folken and Folken merely stared into his glass of wine.

"I wasn't originally intending to bring this up," Folken said quietly, "but I left for a reason. Yes, I was selfish. Yes, it was cruel - to you especially." He raised his eyes to Van's again. "I never intended for you to hate me." Van just continued glaring. "I've made some wrong choices. Leaving you. Blackmailing you. I'm ready to admit I deserve your anger." He took a deep breath. "I don't _want_ you to hate me. I'm sorry. For everything I did - and didn't - do." Van listened silently to the speech, seething all the while.

"Your apology," Van said coldly, "is not accepted. Why did you want to talk to me?"

Folken sighed and clasped his hands together. The worst part about Van's rejection was that Folken was completely and honestly sincere. "Stop pushing away the part of you that rejoices my presence," Folken whispered. There was another long silence before Folken stood and spread out his arms, as if asking to hug Van. Instead, he said, "My brother. We are now at an empasse. I called you here to make a deal - to blackmail you. Yet, my words are true, and I am struck by my own honesty. I do not wish for you to hate me and my planned actions surely will drive your hatred deeper. You may go."

Van turned on his heel, but before he reached the door, he heard Folken say, "Before you go, answer me this." Van paused at the door. "What can we do to reconcile?"

Van spun around to face his still standing brother. "Give me my childhood back." With that, Van left Folken. The blue-haired man sat down and sipped his wine.

"I wonder if he knows how I really feel," Folken murmured to himself, the amusement in his eyes gone and his lips displaying a sad, small grin. Folken really felt like a piece of shit. For everything. And his apology had been as sincere as they get. Van hadn't been helpful. Folken sat back and stared up at the ceiling. Nothing mattered to him. Not the mansion, money, girl, or 'melef. Now all he wanted was Van's affections. He wanted to be a big brother again. Like he was born to be.


	19. Vow

"How did it go?"

Van didn't look at Hitomi. He just kept swinging his sword, focusing on his form. "Fine."

"... Don't want to talk about it, huh?" She recieved no answer. "I'll leave you alo-."

"No," Van snapped, dropping his sword and turning to Hitomi at last. They were in his room. When he came home, he found he was angry enough to have a burst of strength and move his bed. His bed was out of the way and now his sword was on the floor. Hitomi stood in the doorway, poised as if to leave, but frozen. Van was facing her, his breathing labored. He didn't know what he wanted or what to do, but he knew he did _not_ want Hitomi to leave. "Come in," he offered quietly, holding out his hand for her. She turned and took his hand hesitantly. He closed the door behind her and they sat on the bed. There was another long moment of silence.

Hitomi examined their interlocked hands while she asked yet again, but much more gentler, "How did it go?"

Van squeezed her hand. "He apologized for leaving and blackmailing me out of my house. I told him I didn't accept his apology. He said he didn't want me to hate him, so he wasn't going to blackmail me like he planned on." Silence enveloped them and all Hitomi could do was pull Van into a hug. She didn't know what else to do. His hands grasped her waist and squeezed. His forehead rested on her bosom, but he didn't recognize her breasts in front of him. He focused on the thump of her heart, and how her slender arms wrapped around his neck and her slim hands patted his hair. Van squeezed his eyes shut and tried to calm down. His throat constricted and it took all his might not to cry.

"Sh," Hitomi cooed, "It's okay. I'm here." His hands crushed her tiny waist and it hurt. Hitomi knew she'd have bruises tomorrow, but she didn't care.

The door opened and Mamouru walked in saying, "Hey, Van there's a..." He trailed off upon seeing the two on the bed. He blinked a few times. "Am I interrupting something?" Hitomi looked up at her brother and then down at Van. Now Van seemed intent on not being seen in his vulnerable state by someone who didn't respect him.

She smiled at Mamouru and whispered, "Come in. Close the door." Mamouru's brow creased and he did as he was told. Van sniffed and wiped his eyes before tearing himself from Hitomi's comforting embrace.

"What do you want, Mamouru?" he whispered.

"Uh, if this is a bad time..." the youngest Kanzaki murmured. When he first walked in, he assumed he was interrupting something sexual, not something emotional. Now he could clearly see that Van had been trying his hardest not to cry, and Hitomi was merely hugging him. He really didn't want to be around to see one of the toughest men he'd met cry.

Van shook his head and looked up at Mamouru through undiluted eyes. "What is it?"

"Uh, there's a guy downstairs... Says he wants to talk to you," Mamouru informed him hesitantly. "It's Dilandou. Mom is keeping him company."

Van was immediately on his feet. "You left your mother _alone_ with Dilandou?" Hitomi stood and brushed a tear from Van's cheek before following him down the stairs, taking two steps at a time. Van froze at the bottom of the stairs, watching a scene that should never have transpired before him. Ms. Kanzaki, Dilandou, and _Folken_ were sitting at the kitchen table. Ms. Kanzaki was laughing and Dilandou was grinning. Folken was the most somber of the three, but still had that twinkle of amusement that drove Van insane. It used to lighten Van's mood, but now... Folken's very presence brought a dark cloud over Van's mind.

"Van! I had no idea your brother was so _charming_!" Ms. Kanzaki commented upon seeing the youngest Fanel on the bottom step.

Folken's eyes looked up at Van, flickered to Hitomi, and then rested on Van again. "Hello, Van."

"Why are you here, Folken?" Van asked in monotone. He couldn't subject Hitomi's family to the bitterness he felt for his own flesh and blood.

"To visit my little brother, of course," Folken answered calmly, raising his glass of wine to his lips. Why did he always have wine? Van haltingly walked across the room and sat beside his brother. Ms. Kanzaki felt the tense atmosphere, so she took the corn muffins out of the oven and placed them on the table. Then she left with Mamouru, and Hitomi hesitantly followed her mother and brother.

"Wait," Van stopped Hitomi. She paused and turned around. Van motioned for her to sit down, smiling softly at her. Hitomi didn't like that expression. It was so... hollow. Still, she couldn't abandon Van, and so she sat where he suggested and stared down at her hands. Van took one of them, and she squeezed it gently.

Folken smiled at her. "It's wonderful that you've fallen in love, Van." Van looked up at his brother, having trouble deciding whether or not that was a threat.

"Come on, Folken!" Dilandou exclaimed impatiently, "When are we going to leave? Their heroic lovey fluff makes me sick to my stomach."

Folken nodded. "I'll get to the point, then." He stood up. "I merely came to inform you that I am not interfering with your happiness any longer, Van. If you want the mansion, come take it. You want the money, it's there for you. You want to win the tournament, I won't stop you." In the following silence, Dilandou openly gaped at Folken, while Van watched him through narrowed eyes suspiciously.

"But!" Dilandou spluttered, "But! Folken! How can you do that to me? What about Schezar? And the tournament?" Folken turned and left, and Dilandou followed him out the door, screaming profanities and yelling at the silent Folken. Van stood up silently.

"I need to be alone for a while, Hitomi," he whispered. He walked up the stairs quickly. Hitomi heard a door close outside, and on a whim, she ran out of the kitchen. Dilandou was down the street, walking off some steam. Folken was starting up the car. She ran to the car and opened the passenger door before jumping in. Folken stared at her, shock written on his face.

She stared at him hard for a minute. "I love Van. A lot. I can tell you do, too." She took a deep breath. "Thank you. For staying out of his way. I really don't think you deserve his hate or exile from his presence, but thank you. I don't know why you kicked him out of his house, and took all his money, but I think you love him a lot." Folken watched this woman who knew him right down to his soul after a second glance. He was suddenly very happy for Van that he had someone like this in his life. Hitomi grasped his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I wish he could forgive you." Silence ensued and she turned to leave, but Folken grabbed her wrist. She turned to him, looking a little confused.

"I can't control Dilandou," Folken warned her. "I thought I could, but... he'll probably still enter the tournament with the soul purpose of hurting Van. He seems to have a fixation on him. I wish I could help more..."

She smiled and patted his hand. "Don't worry, Folken. I will never abandon Van when he needs me." With that, she went back inside. Folken went over his interaction with Dilandou in his mind.

_"I refuse to be in the way of Van's happiness," Folken said firmly. _

_Dilandou raised his chin up high. "_You_ refuse to - but I didn't promise anything like that!" He stormed off down the street. _

Folken sighed and buckled his seatbelt. He'd have to enter the tournament to keep Van safe. _  
_


	20. A Gift or Two

The rest of the week went by without incident. Van was intent on practice, and Hitomi wasn't as into it as Van was, but she doted on him. Of course, she didn't pamper him, but she paid special attention to him, making sure he understood she was there for him. When she did practice with Van, though, she went at it with her entire heart and soul. Van was surprised to find she was improving rapidly, and at times had to actually struggle to win the match.

"You're improving," Van commented lightly. They were lying in Hitomi's bed, Hitomi's head resting against his chest and his hand stroking her hair. The door was open, of course. It was part of the rules of the house. Van was focusing on Hitomi's hot breath on his chest, which brought up something he hadn't thought about in a long while. She hummed in response to his comment. Van wondered where he put it, and realized he still wore it around his neck and under his shirt for safe keeping. "Close your eyes," he whispered.

Hitomi looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "Last time you asked me to do that, I found out some of your deepest darkest secrets. Is there something you need to tell me?"

He chuckled and covered her eyes. She huffed playfully while he removed the necklace the gypsy woman gave him. What was the woman's name? Sora? Van couldn't believe he'd waited this long to give it to Hitomi. It just hadn't crossed his mind. "Hold out your hands." She did as she was told and something warm and _pulsing _was placed in her hands. Curious, Hitomi opened her eyes to see the pink pendant. It was simple and elegant and it made Hitomi gasp.

"Van!" she whispered, "Why did you get me this?" She turned her impossibly green eyes up at him and he found himself wanting to kiss her. It wasn't th first time the urge had popped up, but this time her lips were irrisistable. How could he do anything but press his mouth against the soft, pliable, sexy, pink... the list of descriptions went on, so he shoved it out of his mind and leaned down to capture her lips in his.

At first, Hitomi didn't know what to do. Van never did anything sexual before, and this was just do passionate, but... at the same time, it was chaste. Before she could decide on a course of action, Van pulled away from her with pink cheeks.

He avoided her gaze and whispered, "You should put the necklace on before you lose it." She obeyed sluggishly, trying to wrap her mind around what just happened. The kiss was so different than the kiss with Allen. She didn't participate in either kisses, merely standing there unsure what to do, but with Allen it had been so quick, with so much pressure to respond. With Van, it had been urgent - but only for him. It was like all he wanted to do was feel her lips against his and he'd be satisfied while Allen had obviously wanted to go all the way. Hitomi decidedly liked Van's kiss much, _much_ more. Allen's had been one-sided and suave. While Van wasn't smooth, it was certainly sweeter and way more meaningful.

Van looked down at her when his cheeks didn't feel as hot, and found the necklace hanging in the open about her bosom. "That was my first kiss," he blurted out without thinking. His cheeks radiated heat again, but he couldn't turn his face away from those green orbs.

"So," Hitomi whispered, trying to distract Van from his embarrassment, "the preliminaries start tomorrow. Are you nervous?"

He smiled softly and shook his head. "Not as long as you're there to support me."


	21. Preliminaries

A/N: I don't know if anyone really cares, but I'm trying to finish this story asap. I know most people are like "no, don't let it ever end!" but I have other things to do and stuff to edit.

"That's enough to buy an entire new 'melef! What do you need _that much _money for?" Folken asked Merle incredulously. "I'll give it to you, but-."

"I can't tell!" Merle insisted, "I promised!" Folken sighed and handed her the check. Merle squealed and ran out of the house.

~Preliminaries

"What's _with_ this?" Van asked Merle irritably. "There are _two_ anonymous players? I've never even seen that before!" He was standing in front of the chart with the people listed who were in the preliminaries. There were a lot of people, but Van knew how preliminaries went. Those who didn't know what they were doing lost within minutes, so the first day went by really fast. Many people would be eliminated today, and a few more tomorrow. Then there would be four to five people left who actually stood a chance against each other. Each of those fights, depending on how they went, could take an hour to an entire day. If it went on that long, they'd go to bed and wake up the next morning, each determined to win. Eventually someone won. He'd seen a draw once before in his life and that was Dilandou and Allen.

In any case, Van was ready to go, but he was upset that he didn't know the names of two people that could very well be the next champion. It bothered him to no end. He was in the waiting room, and it was his turn next. Two morons who didn't know how to fight were out on the floor right then and Merle was allowed to wait with Van.

"What's the prize again?" Merle asked, petting a cat in her arms that she had found not too long ago.

Van sighed and sat down on a bench. "Fifty _million_ dollars." He looked up at Merle and she patted his head cheerfully.

"You'll win," she assured him, "and if you don't, then I'm sure you'll find another way to support Hitomi." Van buried his face in his hands.

"I've never _wanted _to spend my money on anyone before," he murmured, "The worst part is that I don't _have_ any money anymore."

"Didn't Folken give it back to you?" Merle asked confusedly.

Van sighed and leaned back. "It's his. It always was." He grimaced. "I can't say I hate him anymore, but... I just don't want to deal with him until I've sorted things out. I'm just confused." Merle patted his shoulder and offered him to hold the kitten when the bell tolled and one of those idiots was declared the winner.

Van jumped off the bench and ran to Escaflowne, which was disguised as a normal 'melef so he didn't get weird looks.

~That Evening

"Those morons don't know how to fight," Van muttered. They were sitting at the table, eating dinner that Van made once again. It was a delicious smelling shishkabob and everyone enjoyed it. Mamouru, Hitomi, Merle and Ms. Kanzaki were talking excitedly about what they saw today. Merle, and especially Hitomi, seemed to understand that the people that were out there earlier weren't any good at all, but Mamouru seemed hesitant to believe two girls who might not know what they're talking about. Ms. Kanzaki kept exclaiming, "But it was so exciting!" Once Van voiced his opinion, it was decided that no one out there that day had any talent.

Van slept well that night, but Hitomi was restless. How would tomorrow unfold?

A/N: I know I didn't get into the actual fights, but they were just preliminaries with a bunch of idiots. Describing Van's or anyone else's fight would have been a waste of everyone's time.


	22. Allen vs Dilandou

Van woke the next morning refreshed. It was a new day, and most of the idiots on the field were gone. There might be two or three left, but what was the chance he was going to fight them?

Much to Van's disappointment, his fight was first - and it lasted three minutes. Bored and without anything to do after his fight, he looked at the chart to see how everyone else was doing. Merle followed him around. The two anonymous people were fighting people Van had never heard of, and while he was interested to see how they were going to play out, his eye was immediately drawn to people he knew - Dilandou and Allen were next.

"Allen and Dilandou?" Merle asked curiously, hanging on Van's shoulder. "They're fighting already? Let's go in the stands and find Hitomi so we can watch!" Van nodded quietly and they headed out into the crowd. It was the first time Van paid attention to his surroundings. It reminded him of a baseball field, except the stands where the crowd stood around was a lot larger as to fit more spectators, and the arena also larger to accommodate the huge 'melefs. The ground was also unmarked and consisted completely of dirt without a patch of green to be seen.

The crowd was huge, and upon entering it, Van was positive it'd be impossible to find Hitomi and her family. Merle, however, seemed to have directions or something from when she was with the Kanzaki family watching Van's fight, and somehow they arrived just as the fight was about to start. Hitomi, upon seeing Van, pulled him into a hug and squeezed him tightly.

"Van! Allen and Dilly are about to fight! I can't wait to see who wins!" she exclaimed, taking his hand. Merle immediately went to talk to Mamouru and it was the first time that anyone really noticed that Mamouru was Merle's default when she couldn't talk to Hitomi or Van. However, Hitomi pushed it out of her mind and they watched as two guymelefs walked out onto the field. It was easy to differentiate between the two 'melefs because of their different styles. Allen had long hair, even on his guymelef, and a blue cape. Dilandou's had a theme of red and it was a much different style of 'melef than most people chose.

Hitomi cheered, but didn't call out specific names. On one hand, she had her half-friendship/half-respect for Allen, and on the other hand she had her half-fear/half-friendship with Dilandou. The fight started and as they began the slow dance, Hitomi asked Van in a hushed voice, "Who is going to win?"

Van raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm not psychic, Hitomi." He looked up to watch Dilandou charge Allen, and Allen sidestep. "It's impossible to make a logical guess, but I'd bet my money on Dilandou." Hitomi turned a curious gaze to her boyfriend, but didn't want to miss the fight, so turned around to watch Allen and Dilly not much later.

"Why do you say Dilly?" she asked, trying to get her voice to be heard over the cheering crowd. Allen swiped upward with his sword, nicking Dilandou's armor, but otherwise not doing any damage and leaving himself wide open. Normally, Allen wouldn't have made such a mistake, but he had been fooled by Dilandou to think it was impossible to miss his target. Dilandou punched Allen in his gut, and Allen stumbled back.

Van answered, his voice barely overcoming the other noise in the crowd, "They have the same flaws and strengths. They're both quick, and strong. There are only a few differences. Dilandou is rash, while Allen thinks things through. Or at least tries to." Out on the field, Allen sliced the sleeve of Dilandou's armor at the cost of a punch in the face. Van continued with his explanation. "The factor that makes me confident that Dilly is the most likely winner is this: Dilly's not afraid to fight dirty." On cue, Dilandou kicked the back of Allen's knee, forcing him to collapse onto his knees. Just as Allen was about to swipe at him with his sword, Dilandou disappeared - the invisibility mechanism. Van leaned forward in the crowd, watching intently. This was what got him last year... How could he beat it?

"There," Hitomi whispered to Van, pointing at thin air behind Allen. Van looked down at her, a little confused. An arm appeared from where she was pointing and it sliced at Allen, who barely managed to miss an untimely death. That said, Allen could not continue with his guymelef in that condition, and Dilandou was decidedly the victor.

Hitomi pulled away, "I have to use the bathroom."

"You'll miss the next fight, though!" Van protested.

"I'll be back!" she promised before leaving him. Merle pulled Mamouru over to stand next to Van.

Hitomi did miss the next fight, but Merle and Mamouru kept Van company while they watched. The fight was one of the anonymous people, Van was starting to call him Silver in his head, and some noob who didn't know what he was doing. Silver won easily - it was so short, it was no surprise Hitomi missed it. The last fight was even shorter than Silver's battle, and the other anonymous person won. Van was starting to call him Bob for lack of creativity.

As they were leaving the arena that day, Van asked Hitomi, "How did you know where Dilandou was during his fight with Allen when he was invisible?"

Hitomi looked up in surprise. "I don't know. My pendant just sort of... showed me." Van sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The answer didn't make any sense. How was he supposed to defeat Dilandou...?

Van went to bed excited that night. Tomorrow, he would have a real fight. Hitomi, on the other hand, was so nervous she was afraid she'd be sick.

A/N: I realized just now that I spell Dilandau wrong. *Derp* For consistency's sake, I will continue to spell it "Diland_o_u" as oppose to "Diland_a_u."


	23. Silver vs Bob

It was the third day of the tournament. Van was excited, and Hitomi pretended to be. Merle spent her time rubbing Hitomi's back when no one was paying attention, telling her everything was going to be okay. Hitomi felt better after a little sleep, but her anticipation was mounting. Van was standing with them, having decided to watch the match while he waited for his own. The crowds were starting to fill the stands, but before it got too dense, Hitomi had an idea.

"Merle, I'm feeling a little sick," Hitomi moaned, "Can you take me home?" They shared a meaningful glance and Merle nodded. The younger of the two stood and spoke to the others while Hitomi tried her best to look nauseas. It didn't take much on her part, since she kind of was feeling sick. She didn't know what excuse Merle gave as to why she had to specifically bring Hitomi back, but they got out of the crowd before it expanded too much. "Thanks, Merle," Hitomi thanked her as they entered the inside of the arena, where the 'melefs were.

Merle flicked her nose and ran back into the crowd. Hitomi sighed and stretched before sitting on the bench and waiting for the bell to toll. _Just today_, she told herself, _Just survive today and it's over_. The bell rung and she took a deep breath before climbing into the shiny new 'melef that Van had dubbed "Silver."

Folken watched Hitomi climb into the new 'melef, and watched it come to life. Just as Hitomi was focusing on her surroundings again, she was aware of Folken crossing the "garage" and into another 'melef, the one Van had called "Bob." This surprised Hitomi, and they stood in silence before the doors that separated the arena and garage opened.

"The best of luck, Hitomi," Folken wished out loud.

Hitomi turned to him, and although he couldn't see it she smiled. "You too, Folken. We both want what's best for Van. No matter who wins, it's for him, correct?"

"I'm giving him my reward money," Folken informed her.

She laughed. "Even if I beat you, I know for a fact I'm not winning this tournament." Silence ensued while she let that sink into Folken's brain. Before the idea finally settled in, the doors opened and they stepped out into the sun. The crowd cheered and Hitomi relished in the adrenaline that was pumping through her. In complete synchronization, Hitomi and Folken stepped into the arena and faced each other. The crowd was deafening. The sun was unbearably hot. Hitomi felt a bead of sweat roll down her back.

Silent communication passed between the two people who loved Van the most. The message hung in the air: _let the man who loves Van the most win_. Hitomi drew her sword and Folken did the same. The bell tolled again, signaling the beginning, and both of them lunged forward, silently emitting their battle cries.

"Who will win, Mr. Van?" Merle asked, clinging to her adopted brother's arm.

Van examined the field and came to the conclusion quickly. "Bob's going to win. While they're both strong fighters, Bob has so many advantages and is such a better fighter than Silver that it isn't even worth thinking about. Bob will definitely win - but it might take all day."

Hitomi didn't feel like herself anymore. Her conscious was shutting down and all that went through her mind were openings, risks, and defense. She stepped slowly to the right, keeping her eyes on the guymelef dubbed Bob. It was no longer Folken in that 'melef; it was only the object of her actions. It was the first time she'd been lost in the fight. She was sweating and panting heavily. The screaming crowd was only background noise, driving her focus to intense extremes.

The dance was long and quick. Hitomi would lunge, and Folken would block. She would leave herself open when she lunged and Folken would go to strike her, and find himself slicing thin air. To say the least, Hitomi was fast. At times, she wasn't fast enough and Folken's blade would find its way in one of her 'melefs limbs, but always at some sort of cost. He'd lose his balance or leave himself open. In any case, it was a close match. There were intervals where niether of them would attack, and they'd walk in slow circles around each other. It was in one of these impasses where Hitomi fell backwards, seemingly fainting. Folken lunged forward, whether to help or hurt, but Hitomi's fist collided with his 'melef's face and he stumbled back. Hitomi jumped to her feet and they circled each other once more. It had been a long fight; they'd been doing this for three hours straight.

Folken stared at the guymelef he knew belonged to Hitomi. Her 'melef was definitely more feminine than most, with a silver theme. The impenetrable mask suddenly seemed majestic, and beautiful, and... almost angelic. Folken realized, upon staring at Hitomi's guymelef, that he was (for lack of better term) obsolete. Van now had Hitomi; what did he need Folken for? Van had lived his entire life without his older brother, and now he had someone even better. Why was Folken doing this if Van already had Hitomi?

His reverie was cut short by a giant guymelef fist in his gut. He didn't care, and let Hitomi defeat him. She punched and cut him, but only to the bare minimum. During his reverie, Hitomi had started to feel like herself again and she didn't want to hurt Folken more than necessary. As soon as she was declared the winner, she help Folken stand and they went back into the garage supporting each other. The companionship after such an intense, long battle made the crowd go wild.

Inside the garage, Hitomi and Folken found to their dismay, that Folken was stuck inside his 'melef from the punch in his stomach. Hitomi stood by his 'melef, completely scared to death, but too worried to leave either. Her heart pounded every time she looked up at Folken's giant 'melef. At the same time, she became sick with worry every time she left the room, so she opted to be afraid.

"Hitomi," Folken chuckled, "Just go. Be there for Van. You won fair and square. Leave me." When she planted her feet firmly on the ground in defiance, he sighed. "I'm not going to die or stay in here forever. We already sent for help. There's nothing else you can do for me. But you can help Van - go support him."

While Hitomi couldn't stand to leave him, she knew he had a point, and reluctantly left him before Van's fight began.


	24. Reconciliation

Van was in the garage, going over the last battle in his head. It was almost as if Bob had given up. How could that be? Bob had it in the bag! Why didn't he win? He was thinking so furiously over the possibilities that he missed Bob sit next to him. Only when the guymelef poked Van in the back did Van notice his attention was wanted.

"I ran into Hitomi," Bob told him, and held out his hand. In the giant guymelef palm was a little pink pendant. "She knew she wouldn't be able to find you after she came back."

Van took it, in a slight daze. "She's feeling better?" he asked quietly. Folken didn't quite know what Van meant, so he just nodded. Van clasped the pendant around his neck and the bell rang. Van jumped into his disguised Ispano guymelef. Then he realized Bob was right there, so he could ask what happened in that battle, but when he looked around, Bob was nowhere to be seen and the garage door was opening. Van steeled his determination, taking comfort in the small weight around his neck, and stepped into the sunlight.

A drop of sweat slowly rolled down his forehead. It was hot inside the guymelef, and the sound of the cheering crowd made his head pound. Van was about to battle Dilandou. The sun beat down on his guymelef's back and head, and he knew this wasn't going to end soon. He was facing Dilandou now, and could practically see through the guymelef, where the maniacal grin plastered on Dilandou's face would be. Van was anxious. Would this ever start? He needed to beat Dilandou, and he didn't know how he was going to. His stomach knotted and he could have sworn Dilandou's guymelef was mockingly smirking at him.

The bell rang again and Dilandou immediately charged Van. Van jumped to the side, a small "hn!" escaping his throat. Dilandou was relentlessly attacking Van, jabbing and stabbing, always pressuring Van. Dilandou slashed with his sword and Van blocked, their blades locked in a battle of strength. Dilandou constantly applied more and more pressure, although not gradually. Van struggled to keep himself up, and his guymelef's feet gouged into the ground. Dilandou laughed maniacally, applying still more pressure on Van.

"It's time, Van!" Dilandou exclaimed, unable to control an on-coming giggle fit. Van's eyes flashed and he pushed back with sudden strength that rivaled even Balgus, a brief growl ripping through his throat that turned quickly into a shout. Dilandou grunted as he was pushed back and away from Van. Their swords scraped together as they were separated. Dilandou stumbled a little backward, but gained his balance just before Van's battle cry reached his ear and their swords met once again. Van jumped back as Dilandou swiped at his feet, another grunted "hn!" emitting from his lips.

Dilandou launched an onslaught of lunges, punches, and slices at Van again, very nearly hitting him most of the time. Van yelped (in a manly way - he doesn't squeal) when his 'melef's shoulder was punctured and he was forced to his knees.

"Tsk, tsk, Vanny-boy," Dilandou purred, raising his sword to smite the man he addressed, "You're not aggressive enough!" Van rolled out of the way in the nick of time, just barely avoiding his death. His breath was labored and sweat congealed with sweat on his thighs and armpits. Dilandou turned a crazed gaze to what would have been his kill. "Die, Van!" he yelled, lunging forward yet again.

Van ducked, and tackled the red guymelef to the ground. Before he could pin Dilandou down, though, the guymelef went invisible and was ripped out from under Van. The man with the Ispano 'melef looked around frantically and climbed to his feet slowly. Laughter echoed above the crowd and Van turned an entire 180, searching for the invisible guymelef. He was starting to feel dizzy and paranoid. He swung his sword to the left and around him, never hitting anything but laughter and thin air.

Something small and chill bumped into his chest while he swung and he was suddenly reminded of what Hitomi said: _My pendant just sort of... showed me._ Van closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _God, let this work... _He focused solely on the pendant, how it felt against his chest, how it swung to the right... His eyes snapped open and he swung his sword to his right, stepping a little farther into it than before. Steel reappeared to fend off Van's attack. Dilandou couldn't believe that just happened! How the hell did Van know where he was?

Dilandou jumped backward and the steel disappeared. "Lucky guess, Van," he sneered before going silent. His heart was pounding. It was just a coincidence. Right? Of course it was! He watched Van's back intently. When his opponent didn't move, he stepped silently forward to deal the final blow - and his blade was deflected by Van's. _How does he know?_ Dilandou was in a panic. What was he supposed to do? How did Van know? A growl ripped through his throat and he bombarded Van with violent, spastic swipes of his sword. _How can he know? What's his secret?_

Van dodged and blocked every blow, finding it easier and harder at the same time. While Dilandou wasn't focusing on the best way to defeat Van anymore, his attack was frantic, each blow harder to deflect, but easier to dodge. And then the maniac left himself wide open and Van jammed his sword right into the 'melef's belly.

Dilandou went suddenly still as he felt the sting of the attack. His eyes were wide and his limbs trembled, but his guymelef stayed still. Dilandou's 'melef fell to its knees and dropped its sword. Van stood above his enemy, his breath still heavy and his sweat still clinging to his skin. He was declared the winner and the crowd's cheers reached his ears once more. Van's anxiousness lifted and his stomach muscles relaxed. With a heavy sigh that was not heard over the cheer of the crowd or his 'melef's machinery, Van turned to the garage to put his 'melef away and go home to eat and take a hot shower.

Dilandou lay defeated on the ground, but the words didn't make sense in his head and his wound didn't register either. Slowly, he pushed himself up again. His vision blurred for a moment, but it didn't stop him. _How did he know? He can't... he can't win... I must... kill..._

Dilandou raised his sword and ran toward Van with a blood-curdling scream. Van turned just in time to watch a flash of blue and then the silver of steel and then _red_. He couldn't force his 'melef to move. He couldn't force _himself_ to move. Red was everywhere, splattered all over the two 'melefs on the ground. Dillandou's guymelef opened up and the silver haired pyro stumbled out of his 'melef, unjured and finally admitting defeat. He stumbled into the garage, his breathing labored - but no one paid him any mind when he was out of sight.

Hitomi was running across the field toward the fallen guymelef named Bob that would not open. The pilot did not leave his vessel. Hitomi reached the 'melef just as Van thought to leave his own 'melef. He hopped down after it opened and watched Hitomi frantically try to pry open the entrance with her hands, yelling and crying.

"Folken!" she cried, "Get out of there! You're hurt! Please, please tell me you're not still stuck in there!" Tears streamed down her face and Van slowly realized what happened. He examined Dilandou's blade puncturing the pilot's chamber directly, and the blood everywhere. His eyes followed Bob's blade that pierced the bottom of Dilandou's pilot chamber. Hitomi's cries reached his ears again. "Folken, get out of there!"

By the time everything sunk into his brain, Hitomi was sobbing on his shoulder, Dilandou was missing, and there were people trying to remove Folken from his 'melef while others took care of Dilandou's guymelef. The crowd was being ushered away, but Merle and Hitomi's family were still around, unsure of whether they should leave or stay.

The medics who were trying to open the compartment for the pilot yelped and scrambled away when the 'melef started moving. Van looked up at Folken's guymelef. The hand reached out and the finger barely skimmed Van's cheek before it went limp and the pilot chamber collapsed open and Folken fell to the ground. The medics ran forward to go help him while even more people went to clean up the guymelef.

Folken and the medics passed Van. Van suddenly found he couldn't hate or even dislike Folken anymore. The child in him, the one that rejoiced in Folken's presence and attention, overcame his mind and he pulled Hitomi close. He buried his face in her wonderful hair that still smelled like his shampoo. He realized she must have taken some from him, but he didn't care. She wouldn't just take things without asking anyway. He felt tears stream down his face.

"God damn it," he choked on the words, "That was my _brother_ on that stretcher."


	25. The Last Battle

The last day of the tournament was not postponed. Luckily, they were informed the very same day that the incident happened, that Folken was not dead. At best, he would be back to normal once his wounds closed. At worst, his legs would be paralyzed for an undetermined amount of time. Either way, it was a relief for the Kanzaki family, Merle, and Van. It was surprising and upsetting how it took such trauma on Folken's part for Van to admit he loved him.

Because the date was not postponed and Van was determined to win, even with his brother in the hospital, he had to go. Merle insisted on going as well, and Hitomi promised she'd be there.

It was another hot day. The sun was blinding Van again as he stepped out onto the field in his guymelef. Today he was fighting the man who beat Folken. The man who defeated Folken in a fair fight. Van didn't want revenge necessarily, but he was... intimidated, to say the least. He hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the previous night because he fretted over Folken. Hitomi, once over her hysterics, had been calm and reassuring. She had held his hand all night long, and Mrs. Kanzaki had let them sleep in the same bed - albeit with the door open. Now, he was emotionally distraught, but his determination was reinforced. Today, he would win. Even if it was against the man who defeated Folken.

The bell hadn't tolled yet, as to keep the crowd in suspense, but it made Van anxious. He was tempted to just start the fight without the bell. But then he'd be disqualified, and this stranger would win. Van took a deep breath, all too aware of the bead of sweat between his shoulder blades. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. He was going to win. He had to. His eyes opened again and they landed on the shining, graceful curves of the 'melef mask.  
Van was dazzled by it, and imagined easily that that had been part of a distraction in Folken's battle. The mask seemed almost angelic. Van wanted nothing more than to drive his blade through it. The mask was designed to make him think this way about the guymelef and the pilot inside, and Van knew that. He grit his teeth and unsheathed his blade. This was it. This was the battle that determined his worth. His brother's victor stood before him, in all his gleaming triumphant glory. His breath was even and his nervousness drifted away. His confidence was restored.

He _was _going to win.

No.

Matter.

What.

Time slowed down. Silver was utterly still, crouched and ready to fight. Slowly, the giant 'melef hand reached out and removed his sword from its sheath on his back. They stared at each other's masks for a long moment, breathing evenly with their confidence sky-high. Both were utterly calm and it was apparent in the way they held themselves. Now that Van's confidence was reinforced, he had to focus.  
He took in every sensation. The loud crowd, yelling and screaming and chanting either "Silver!" or "Fanel!" He felt the way the sun radiated heat onto his 'melef's back and the way his hair stuck to his face and forehead. He absorbed the way the sun gleamed off of Silver's guymelef and his own blade. He felt his pulse in his neck and his muscles relax and tighten periodically, ready to follow any command. He felt the lump in his throat and squashed the urge to clear it. The last thing he focused on was the pendant still hanging about his chest. Hitomi had let him keep it after Folken's accident, and it gave him clarity of mind, confidence, and comfort akin to Hitomi's presence.

Hitomi's heart raced while Van was calming himself. She started hyperventilating, staring at Van's majestic Ispano guymelef, which was not disguised any longer. She was frightened. It was once again like she was a little girl, staring up at her father's new 'melef. It seemed so gigantic, so _impossible_. Van's guymelef was so elegant, so intimidating - it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. The light glinting off its sword, and the aesthetically pleasing sculpt of the body... Once again, it seemed _impossible_. It was surreal. Hitomi steeled herself. That was Van in front of her. He'd never hurt her. She took a deep breath, her fear dissipating at the thought of Van behind those controls. She raised her eyes to the 'melef again and resolved to do what she came here for.

The bell hadn't rang, but Van grunted and side-stepped when Silver jumped forward and aimed a punch at Van's belly. The crowd screamed, but no one moved to stop the fight. Silver swung his sword swiftly and efficiently at Van. Van managed to bring his own sword out to deflect the blow. Silver hooked his foot behind Van's knee and tried to bring him to his knees. It worked with a loud crash and a dust cloud from Van's fall.  
Silver swung again at Van, but was blocked, and their swords locked in a battle of strength. This was not, as Van soon discovered, Silver's strong point. While there was a decent amount of struggle, Van did easily push Silver's sword away and get to his feet again. Van had found Silver's weakness. That was a start.

This time, Van managed to attack first. He thrust his sword into Silver's belly, but Silver jumped back. Van charged forward, his battle cry ringing through the arena. Silver dodged again, swung around, and sliced at Van's back. Van grunted, and turned around, breathing heavily. Sweat still poured down his face and back, and he was just a little frantic. Silver was fast. How could he use strength against this guymelef if he couldn't even keep up with it?

Hitomi, in the silver 'melef, was just as frantic. She'd just hurt Van! _I should give up before this gets worse... I'm already disqualified... I can't believe I just hurt Van! What was I thinking? _Her thoughts were cut short as Van's sword hissed past the pilot chamber. She took a step back and inhaled deeply. _I can do this. Van doesn't know who I am, and he's won already... But here, we can pitch our strengths against each other entirely without restraint. He'll manage if I hurt him. _With that last thought, Van landed a fist in her gut.

Hitomi gasped, and stumbled back. She suddenly had to wonder about her earlier reassurance that Van would never hurt her. She revised it: _Van would never knowingly hurt me. _Van aimed another thrust, this time at her energist. Hitomi ducked, and tackled the Ispano 'melef. They landed on the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Van flung Hitomi off of him and tried to get to his feet. He was on one knee, and one foot when Hitomi decked his 'melef across the face. He didn't fall down, and swung his sword at her feet. She jumped back, barely dodging the attack. Then Van stood and charged Hitomi again. He feigned to the left, and Silver fell for it.  
His sword sunk right into the silver 'melef's energist.

Something strange happened, though. After he dealt the final blow, he realized a silver sword pointed straight at his pilot chamber. Did that happen before or after the energist was destroyed? Either way, it worried him. The crowd cheered, and he heard it for the first time since the battle began. He saw the judges whisper fervently amongst themselves. Finally, the announcer spoke. "The anonymous pilot is disqualified. Van Fanel, take your prize!" The crowd's response was varied. Many people whistled and cheered, but just as many other people screamed profanities.

Van pulled his sword out of the energist. The 'melef collapsed. Hitomi stared at the ground for a long moment. Her mouth was slightly open, and her breath was shallow. The sounds of the arena, Van walking around, the cheering crowd... they didn't reach her. Shock overwhelmed her. What was she to think after such a horrendous sight?

That night~~~

The Kanzaki family, including Van and Merle, held a party that night. Champagne was passed around without Mrs. Kanzaki's knowledge, but she cooked a big dinner with lots of cornbread. Friends were invited - friends of Mamouru's mostly. Millerna and some of Van's drinking buddies showed up, but they left soon to go somewhere they could get wasted. They'd just wanted to congratulate him, and eat some cornbread.

Van didn't have much to say to anyone, except that he was glad he won. Everyone was in the kitchen, except for Hitomi. No one knew where she was. Van sat by the wall instead of by the table with everyone else. It was loud with so many people there, but it was nice. Mrs. Kanzaki entered the room and Mamouru hurried to hide the alcohol. Van hadn't touched the stuff yet, and didn't plan on it.

The door opened, and seeing as people just kept popping by, no one paid attention to it, except Van. It was Hitomi. She looked exhausted, and drawn, and maybe even dirty. She squirmed past the crowd with Van's eye on her, and she whispered to her mother. Mrs. Kanzaki smiled and nodded, and Hitomi walked right past Van and went straight up the stairs without giving anyone or anything a second glance.

Once she was out of sight, Van stood and weaved in and out of the throng of people to get to Mrs. Kanzaki. He grabbed her forearm and asked gently, "Is Hitomi okay?"

"She's fine," Mrs. Kanzaki replied cheerfully, "Just tired. You can go talk to her if you want." She gestured up the stairs. Van nodded and made his way toward the stairs. He glanced back at the happy picture of celebration, and then went straight up the stairs. The hallway was shockingly quiet after spending so much time in that kitchen with so many teenagers that just don't know how to be quiet for all of ten seconds. It didn't bother him, per se, that those kids were always so loud, but it wouldn't hurt anyone if they were quiet.

Van found Hitomi's room and knocked gently, even though the door was open and he could see her lying on the bed with her face planted in the pillow. Hitomi didn't move when he knocked, didn't speak. She just lay there. Van stepped inside and closed the door behind him, ever so softly. Something was wrong with Hitomi. Something was bothering Van, too, but he didn't voice it. Instead, he stood by the door and waited for Hitomi to acknowledge him. She didn't.

Van stood by the door for what seemed like hours. Finally, he padded his silent way to the bed and touched Hitomi's back ever so gently. Still, she didn't move or speak. Van didn't know what to say. So he asked the first thing that came to mind. "Why were you so late?"

Hitomi mumbled into the pillow, "I saw a friend at the arena and we talked. I lost track of time." Even with the muffled pillow, Van could make out what she was saying. Of course, it took several minutes of silence and a lot of repeating in his head, but it eventually became clear. The way she said it made him wonder if she was telling the truth. She never was terribly good at lying. Again, he was at a loss. He didn't know what to say.

"Is everything okay?" he asked at last. He sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair softly. The moonlight fell on her hair, and it was irresistible. He simply had to touch the honey colored stands.

Hitomi answered belatedly, "Yeah." Her voice cracked. Van knew she was lying this time, but didn't know how to voice his thoughts. Would he offend her? He ran a hand through his own hair and tried to think. What could he say?

He asked quietly, "Can I sleep in here tonight?" Whatever possessed him to ask, he didn't know. Sure, he'd wanted to sleep next to her again for a long time, but he never had the courage to ask. And Mrs. Kanzaki would get on his case about it and probably kick him out. As it was, he could move out whenever he wanted, and he was less worried about the rules. Still, he didn't have the courage to ask Hitomi. So how did he manage it just then? Even he didn't know the answer.

Hitomi nodded. Van relaxed a little, after the apprehension of awaiting her answer. The apprehension had only lasted a moment, but it was intense. So Van crawled over her and lay down on his side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and closed his eyes. With a deep breath, he hoped Hitomi would open up to him eventually and tell him what was bothering her. The two of them fell asleep that way.


	26. Aftermath

It was the day of the tournament. Hitomi and Van were still fighting.

_I can do this. Van doesn't know who I am, and he's won already... But here, we can pitch our strengths against each other entirely without restraint. He'll manage if I hurt him. _With that last thought, Van landed a fist in her gasped, and stumbled back. She suddenly had to wonder about her earlier reassurance that Van would never hurt her. She revised it: _Van would never knowingly hurt me. _

Van aimed another thrust, this time at her energist. Hitomi ducked, and tackled the Ispano 'melef. They landed on the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Van flung Hitomi off of him and tried to get to his feet. He was on one knee, and one foot when Hitomi decked his 'melef across the face. He didn't fall down, and swung his sword at her feet. She jumped back, barely dodging the attack. Then Van stood and charged Hitomi again. He feigned to the left... and Silver saw it coming.

Hitomi responded. She let Van attack her energist, because she was faster. Her sword would pierce his pilot chamber before he reached her energist. She had it in the bag. But time stopped. She saw her sword thrust into the chamber. She watched the blood spill, and saw Van's lively eyes turn dazed, and finally, he'd fall. And then she felt the impact of her energist being crushed. And then the shock overwhelmed her.

Over and over, the image of Van bleeding to death played in Hitomi's head. She could hear him cough, and the blood sprayed everywhere. His teeth were stained red. His breath was labored, and he gurgled. Red, and blood, and... it was Van. He was dying. She didn't care that he had actually come out alive. The important thing was that she had planned to do that to him. She had planned to kill him.

She lay on the ground, breath caught in her throat. She was being lifted, by her shoulders. It was the Ispano 'melef, helping her stand. She couldn't control the 'melef, so all the weight was put on Van, with the injured back. Hopefully, it was just the 'melef, and not Van who was hurt. Van started to speak while she relived that moment of insight where she imagined Van's death. "You did well," Van praised her. She didn't thank him. He just dragged her in silence.

Once they were in the hangar with all the other 'melefs, Van put her down and reluctantly left. Hitomi just stared at the ceiling and waited for someone to help her out. The pilot chamber wouldn't open if the energist didn't work. Either the energist had to be repaired or the chamber had to be forced open. She didn't care. She didn't notice that it took hours. She just stared at nothing, picturing Van's death in her head repeatedly.

Then the 'melef tightened around her. She snapped out of her daze and looked around. The chamber closed in on her, and the light from outside disappeared. It was dark, and she couldn't see anything. Still, she could feel the grip of the chamber, seizing her and choking her body. The insufferable pressure had her gasping within seconds. "What's going on?" she yelled, "Someone, help!" She tried to move, to get out, but the walls had closed in and she couldn't move anything but her head. "I didn't mean to! I was - this isn't fair! I didn't kill him!" _But you almost did... You were planning on it... He can't trust you._.. _You lied to him, and planned to kill him..._"It's not like that! Someone! Anyone!" She sobbed, and the 'melef grabbed her neck. She couldn't even move her head. "Van... help..."

"Hitomi!"

Hitomi opened her eyes. She was safe, in her bed. The sunlight streamed on her face, and a comforting arm wrapped around her waist, while a callous hand grabbed her shoulder. She turned her head to Van and blinked. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his entire countenance screamed concern. "You were tossing and turning. Are you okay?" he asked. His hand on her waist gripped her tightly, as well as his hand on her shoulder.

"You're hurting me," she whispered. He immediately let go of her, and drew his hands away. Hitomi exhaled loudly and looked around. She really was safe. Her heart still pounded, even though she knew everything was fine. She looked back at Van and asked, "Are you... unhurt?" Van's concern didn't dissipate as he nodded and assured her that he was fine. She exhaled again. "I had a dream you died," she mumbled. Van sighed, with nothing to say. Hitomi looked at him again. "Did you notice that anonymous pilot had her sword pointed at you when it ended?" she asked.

Van hummed and murmured, "Yeah, it's been bothering me." He froze and slowly inquired, "Silver was a girl? How do you know?" He met her eyes, but she looked away. "Hitomi," he said urgently, "How do you know?" Hitomi sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Van grabbed her wrist. "What's wrong, Hitomi?" he asked softly, "I want to help you." Hitomi thought briefly of her dream, and how she begged for help. She'd asked for Van in the end.

"You never figured out who Silver was?" she asked and turned to him. Their gazes met, and Van searched her eyes for the answers he wanted. The look told him everything.

"You're Silver?" he asked, completely incredulous. Hitomi turned around and buried her face in her hands. Van sat up and gripped her shoulder. "Why?"

Hitomi mumbled, "I had to make sure you won. It was so important to you... and Dilandou was entering... I couldn't sit still and hope." She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "And then when we started to fight... I couldn't help myself. I had to give it my all." She leaned closer and pressed her face against his chest. Tears streamed down her face and a muffled sob met Van's ears. Van held her for a moment and wondered what to think of it all. "I almost killed you!" she sobbed. And that made up Van's mind.

"I'm safe," he whispered, "and it's all over now. Don't worry anymore."


End file.
